Bewitched by the Sea
by BreBre23
Summary: {Complete} Snowflakes are twirling and carolers are singing in Jump City and best of all, it's snowing! Robin announces to his team they're going on vacation for a cruise in Fiji. During that time Beast boy is acting stranger than his usual self around Raven. Beast boy struggles to coax Raven into bringing down the protective walls around her heart during vacation.
1. Fragile Beginnings

Fragile Beginnings

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans**

 **A/N: This will probably be the only author's note but yes i have rewritten the chapters. The fic will only be 10-12 chapters long.**

 **Age bump:**

 **Robin: 17**

 **Starfire: 17**

 **Cyborg: 18**

 **Bumblebee: 17**

 **Beast boy: 16**

 **Raven: 16**

Raven grimaced as she gazed at the sleeping human form of Plasmus. She was covered head to toe in pink goo and Robin was already talking to the authorities that had arrived on the scene fifteen minutes ago. The street, sidewalks, and unfortunate parked cars were caked in the toxic substance. And all she really wanted was a long, hot shower and to actually feel and be clean. The crime alerts had been high as it always was at that time of year but more so with criminals and robberies than actual villains.

"I believe that I am in need of a shower." Starfire stomped her feet on the way to the T-car in hopes to remove some of the goo from the bottom of her boots.

"Girl, don't we all?" Bumblebee took her hair out of her two afro puffs.

Raven removed her cloak that had been doused with sewer water that mixed in with the unfortunate situation. It was already freezing in Jump City as it had snowed heavily the night before and the wind nipped at their red and irritated noses. She clutched the wool fabric in her right hand before she swung open the back door to the T-car.

She wrinkled her nose as she slid onto the leather seat. "We're gonna need more than just a shower."

"I'm never gonna get this smell out the T-car!" Cyborg had taken to the driver's seat as they waited for Beast boy and Robin.

Despite how cold it was, Cyborg had all four windows rolled down so the smell wouldn't set in. By the time they reached the tower, everyone was chilled to the bone with their teeth chattering noisily. Raven bypassed the Ops room with a mission on her mind. Her indigo cloak was deposited in the washer along with everyone else's uniforms. She pulled out a clean set of clothes and headed for the bathroom that was connected to her own room. She was thankful for Cyborg's recent tower upgrades as this newer one benefited everyone much better.

"I take that didn't go well." Water droplets still trickled from Beast boy's green hair. Nearly an hour had passed by before Raven and Bumblebee appeared in the Ops room.

Bumblebee still had a frown set on her lips. "Let's not talk about it, B."

"Agreed." Raven moved to sit on the end of the U-shaped couch. She had washed and rinsed herself for nearly an hour until her gray skin had turned a light shade of pink. That was when she had decided she was clean enough to get out.

Snowflakes began to gracefully twirl and land on the still snow covered grounds, joined by the howling and whipping of the wind. The winter air was crisp and Jump City had been receiving snow since mid-November. The Ops room was crowded with all six titans busy tending their own activities. Bumblebee had taken up residence in front of the gas fireplace and skimmed through the glossy pages of her magazine. Cyborg and Beast boy were on the edge if the black U-shaped couch, staring intently at the 360-inch plasma display. The large black coffee table was littered with empty soda cans; mostly eaten pizza and trash. Raven had curled up on the couch with her blanket and a rather thick book. Every page or so, she would sneak a glance at the two gamers.

"Better watch out before I kick your metal butt!" The changeling had stood up, his fingers jammed down the controller's buttons.

Cyborg was unfazed by the small comment. It was their normal trash talk. "Look who's in the lead grass stain."

Starfire was busy feeding Silkie a moderate amount of zorka berries as she sat at the kitchen table. Robin sat beside her and ate a cold slice of pepperoni pizza from lunch and watched the plasma screen. Screeching tires were heard as a blue car collided with another in the game; the volume unnecessarily high.

Robin had announced three days earlier on November 29th to be exact, that they would be leaving on vacation to Fiji for a week and a half. The leader had booked their flights in advanced as travel this time of year was always congested.

"Star, Titans East agreed to watch Silkie while we're gone." Robin balanced on his chair so that only two legs touched the tiled floor.

"That's right." Bumblebee said in agreement. "Mas and Menos will take good care of him." The two fourteen-year-old twins were especially fond of Starfire's pet.

Starfire continued to pout at her beloved worm. "Oh my bungorf, I will still miss you dearly." She held the creature tighter to her chest for a moment, her eyes glossed over with tears that wouldn't fall.

Robin had thought it was best to speak up since all the titans were in one place. "Remember, this vacation is mandatory." His eyes drifted to the back of the violet haired woman; implying her. "Be packed and ready in two days."

"Yeah, whatever you say man." Cyborg said absently.

Robin didn't want another incident like their last vacation, when they had actually missed their flight because a certain someone had missed placed their plane ticket. It wouldn't happen this year, he was sure of it and he took extra precautions in doing so. He himself was already packed and ready to leave in two days and on top of that he didn't make the mistake of handing out their tickets and passports.

"…Pass me, but you can't pass me, you can't pass…you passed me!" Beast boy hung his head low before he fell back onto the plush couch; controller toppling from his hand and onto the carpet.

Cyborg grinned and pumped his fist in the air, "Booyah! In your face, BB."

"Whatever." Beast boy mumbled.

Cyborg continued to gloat. "Told ya, you couldn't beat the master."

Beast boy stood up and retrieved the controller and placed it on the small table. "Hey Raven, wanna play battleship?"

Raven folded a corner of her page. "Sure, why not."

"Great." Beast boy hopped over the back of the couch and jogged out of the Ops room towards the game closet in the hallway.

Raven placed her book on the cushion of the couch. With her powers, she cleared off the garbage from the coffee table. All the while ignoring Bumblebee's teasing smile and Starfire's giggles. She wrapped the knitted gray blanket around her shoulders and took her place on the floor.

"You can go first." Raven said as Beast boy returned to the room.

He placed the blue and red box down and took out the pieces. "Alright."

"You're that eager to get your butt kicked again, green bean?" Cyborg continued to tease him.

"Shut up." Beast boy said but the words sounded harsh. The half robot moved to eject the game out of its system. In a matter of seconds, the TV reverted back to its normal station.

Robin pushed his chair in, "Whose playing?"

"It started an hour ago." Cyborg plopped down on the far end of the couch near his girlfriend. "Dallas and Green Bay."

"Cool." Robin trashed his paper plate. He then swiftly kissed Starfire before he made his way to the commons area.

Raven's purple eyes studied the blue plastic grid. They had already been playing for fifteen minutes. "B-7."

"Hit." Judging from Beast boy's tone, he was already losing. "You're not reading my mind are you?"

She rolled her eyes. "If that was the case, this game would've been over by now."

"Face it, you just suck at winning." Robin smirked at over hearing their conversation.

Beast boy crossed his arms over his chest, "Will you guys please quit?"

Cyborg shook his head, "Not a chance."

Raven studied his irritated green face. It was almost…adorable in a way. "It's your turn." She had decided to ignore the harmless teasing.

"H-10."

"Miss."

Raven studied her own grid for a moment, "A-9"

Beast boy groaned even louder, "You sunk my ship."

"That _is_ the point of the game." Raven deadpanned. "C-2."

Raven ignored the next glare that he gave her. "Hit."

The two continued on with the game and Beast boy's grouchiness became worse. Cyborg and Robin were completely absorbed in the football games to tease their friend anymore. Starfire had let Silkie freely roam the tower and took to braiding her own hair. She sat with her back against the couch and animatedly talked to Bumblebee.

"That's game, Rae-Rae." Beast boy grinned at her, his bottom fang poking out. It was surprising enough that he had pulled through and actually won.

Raven nodded and began to place the small gray pieces back into the container. "Please refrain from calling me that."

"What no rematch?" He gestured as she continued to clean up. "Maybe we could play Phase 10 or Chess."

Raven placed her grid into the box. "Thanks but no thanks."

"Why not?"

She rose to her feet and reclaimed her heavy book from the couch. "I still need to pack. And I'm assuming that you still need to as well."

Beast boy's hand wandered to the back of his neck. "I still have another day." It was typical Beast boy and his last minute packing habit.

"I'd figure you'd say that." Raven stared into his green eyes for a moment longer. "If you don't mind…I'm going to go."

After Beast boy nodded at her, Raven had turned and made her way out of the room. Once there, she placed her book back in its place on the shelf and lifted her lavender suitcase onto her bed. She had opened the door to her closet and pulled open her bottom dresser drawer. She hadn't even been alone for eight minutes before she heard a knock on her door.

Raven gritted her teeth, "What?"

"We wish to come in." The voice obviously belonged to Starfire and Raven could sense Bumblebee on the other side.

"Do you think it can wait?" Raven called back and placed another pair of socks on top of white flip flops. "I'm busy."

There was a moment's pause as the two girls whispered to each other. "No but it is of importance."

She debated the fact of considering the two women to even step foot in her room. It wouldn't be the first time she allowed in Bumblebee and Starfire into her room. It had been during one of Starfire's sleepovers when she invited several other female titans. And Raven had sulked through the whole experience of her room being violated and as Starfire called it 'the talking of boys.'

Without further thought Raven slid open her door with her powers. "Then what is it?" Her voice was soft and she kept her back to them.

"We wish to assist you in the packing." Starfire floated two inches off the ground and anticipated Raven's answer.

Raven paused, "And why do you wish to do such a thing?"

"So you don't forget your swim suit," Bumblebee gave her an evil grin. "And other essentials."

She sighed as they approached her, "What makes you think that I'll be swimming?"

"What makes you think you won't be?" Bumblebee shot back and sat beside Raven's luggage.

"Fine, I'll take it." Raven moved to retrieve the offending black two piece from the bottom of her drawer. She wasn't anticipating a debate which she knew she would lose against her friends. "Anything else or is that all?"

Starfire shook her head, "But what about the formal attire?"

Raven wasn't one to discuss her wardrobe or to keep up with fashion statements such as the two before her. Instead she moved to grab her purse and coat off the hook and stopped just before she reached the door. She knew she would regret the words that would leave her mouth. But she didn't want to endure the conversation of what she should and should not pack.

"I'll leave it to you." Raven gestured with her hand. "I _trust_ you not to touch anything else in my room." Her voice was stern to get her point across.

Starfire squealed in delight and Bumblebee fist pumped the air. "Yes."

Raven turned and headed towards the Ops room to notify the rest of her teammates of her whereabouts. She went unnoticed and headed toward the back of the couch. Robin and Cyborg's postures were tense and they leaned forward. The commentary on the football game literally had them on the edge of their seats.

"Go, Go!" Robin had jumped up from his place and Cyborg had clapped his hands together loudly.

The outburst seemed to be enough for the empath that stood behind the couch. She jumped back and clutched her chest in surprise. As if to express that she was startled, a row of Christmas lights burst bulb by bulb. Raven quickly pulled the hood of her coat up to hide the embarrassment that shown on her cheeks from the slip of her powers. It wasn't often that her teammates had surprised her and now she had both of their attention.

"What?" She watched as they shrugged their shoulders. "I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back in time for patrols."

"Where are you going, Rae?" Beast boy stood to the side of her, a can of Root beer in his hands.

Her mouth tugged down in a frown, "Out. And it's Ra _ven_ , not Rae." She made the special effort to sound exasperated at the given nickname he had given her.

"Can I come?"

Cyborg raised an eyebrow at his friend's question, wondering what had gotten into him all of a sudden. Perhaps it was a new way to irritate her. Cyborg wasn't the only one to find it odd as he shared a look with Robin. They both knew that Raven and Beast boy frequently spent time alone together but boundaries had been placed between them. Raven was able to tolerate the green teenager even more and Beast boy had proved to be less of an annoyance over the years.

"No." Raven replied.

His ears drooped, a look of hurt traced his features before he concealed it and turned to his friends as if nothing happened. He didn't push her with any further questions such as _why not?_ He of all people knew that she needed her space at times. The short girl moved around him and walked up the few steps and the steel doors softly hissed open.

It wasn't long before Raven wandered throughout the crowded corridors in the mall. Despite the fact that her skin was gray, she almost looked normal…for a half demon. She could almost pass for a citizen without her team around which saved her from being smothered by fans and people who didn't like her. It was nearly impossible to walk without bumping into anyone at least every few seconds. People talked, laughed, cell phones constantly buzzed and rang. The aromas of pretzels and sweet cinnamon rolls and other mall foods meshed together.

Raven stepped into her favorite bookstore and pulled off her warm gloves and left her hood up. Her violet hair almost spilled out reaching halfway down her back. She had lost a stupid bet about Cyborg getting the courage to ask Bumblebee out. In result, she had to let her hair grow out and Starfire had enjoyed it all the more as she could braid Raven's hair.

A middle aged woman stood behind a circular counter in the middle of the store. Her brunette curls spilled over her shoulders and cascaded down her back, an elf hat sat atop her head; pink lips set in a gentle smile.

"I'm here to pick up a book I ordered." Raven said in her usual monotone.

The plump woman smiled at her but it faded when Raven didn't return in. "Of course, name please?"

Raven extracted the money from her purse after unzipping it. "Rachel Roth."

Unlike the others, Raven had taken to using her alias when she was out in public. She didn't care as much for the attention when she was being a superhero. The media had pried too much into their personal lives as it was already. Having a source of privacy away from reporters and paparazzi was comforting.

The woman typed a few things on the computer in front of her. "That will be $26.99."

Raven handed over the fifty-dollar bill and accepted her change and a plastic bag that contained her book. A brown gingerbread man stared back at her on the outside of the bag. She nodded her head politely before departing the store and replaced her thick gloves on her hands. If she was going to be on vacation unwillingly, she might as well bring her own entertainment. Once out of sight outside the mall, Raven opened a portal and stepped through. She stood in a familiar alley with small businesses lined up. The slushy brown snow crunched underneath her feet as she made her way through. She stopped once she reached Dark Hat Café. She pushed opened the heavy metal door and a bell tinkled from above.

"Rachel, it's great to see you again." She was immediately greeted by a tall and skinny woman. "What may I get for you?"

"A mug of chamomile tea would be nice."

Raven had visited the café numerous times that the workers and other customers were on first name basis with her. She moved so she sat beside the window in a small booth to herself. A bit of peace and quiet would be nice before their big trip. And she wasn't in anyway eager looking forward to what the contents of her suitcase would hold upon her return.


	2. The Sky Below

The Sky Below

Their luggage was expertly stacked into the trunk of the T-car and was similar to the game of Tetris. The titan's flight would promptly leave at 6:30pm that evening and last minute things were being checked. Raven was actually glad that Starfire went overboard in decorating every inch of the Titan's tower as she did every year. A thirteen foot Christmas tree sat on the right side of the plasma screen. A star sat on top, a popcorn garland was wrapped around the tree along with different shaped ornaments of many colors. And quite a few presents were stacked on top of each other underneath tree.

Near the fireplace, six stockings were hung with each of their names and fake snow was on some of the select few of the large windows. Starfire had even infested the whole tower with mistletoe, nearly above every doorway. Now that Robin and Starfire had been officially dating—since Tokyo a couple years back—they never passed up the opportunity and were found lip locked underneath the blasted plant.

Raven hated it, even more so that she had to be alert where she was standing at all times and avoided it like the plague. For a certain green boy attempted to catch her off guard numerous times only to end in him flying out the window and to the ocean water below. She was thankful that Cyborg and Bumblebee were more modest with their encounters with the Christmas tradition of kissing.

"Alight, Everybody into the T-car." Cyborg announced excitedly, a huge grin plastered to his face. "Don't want any repeats of last year."

Raven opened the door to the backseat. "Then why are we leaving so late?"

Her question went unanswered as all six titans made their way to the car at their own pace. Cyborg was behind the wheel as usual and Titan Tower receded in the distance. Robin had been forced to sit in the crowded back row with the other three titans. Bumblebee had taken the passenger seat which left Raven crammed between Starfire and Beast boy. Starfire leaned against the back of Bumblebee's chair; her green eyes sparkled with delight.

"Bumblebee," She began slowly. "Perhaps we could do the switching of seats so I could push all the wonderful buttons?" Her index finger motioned to the blue glow of the dashboard.

"Absolutely _not_ , Star." Cyborg answered for his girlfriend. "Keep your hands off my baby."

Raven sighed. "You do have our tickets right, Robin?"

"Of course." Robin answered. "I put them in the car last night."

Starfire sank back into her seat; a small pout on her lips. It was 5:08pm when they had arrived at Jump City's large airport. Cyborg had been able to bypass all the traffic by flying the T-car as they would over the ocean. Almost immediately they were bombarded by fans and cellphones snapping pictures. But the real hassle came when they made it up the escalators to the second floor and passed through the metal detectors. The crowds of people waiting in line had turned to stare at the group of six heroes.

"Oh, come on!" Beast boy grumbled from the other side of the detector. He was replacing his belt through the loops of his jeans.

Raven glared at the black haired boy and stood next to Beast boy. "It's vacation and you choose to bring weapons, just great Robin." The sarcasm in her voice was dripping with venom.

Bumblebee had her hands on her hips and disregarded the attention the two men had attracted. "You better be thankful he police weren't called."

The boy wonder shrugged, "Thought…in case of emergency…" He handed over the grappling hook and the rest of his birdadangs to the annoyed security guard. "I should be prepared."

Bumblebee slowly shook her head at that. "You need to relax. That's partially why we're on this trip." Robin only gave her a sheepish smile.

"I must agree." Starfire had pulled on her black boot and reached for the other. "I do not find it the humorous as our fans may think." Sure enough a good amount of their fans had been watching with curiosity and amused smiles but others had expressions of irritation.

This time the detector allowed Robin through but Cyborg was a whole different matter. He was half metal which and was equipped with a variety of gadgets that classified as weapons in an airport. The security guard just waved off the half metal man knowing full well that Cyborg was a titan. Under any other circumstances, passing through the airport lines wouldn't have been so easy.

"Glorious," Starfire grinned and held onto her carryon bag. "We are officially on the vacation."

Beast boy groaned and plopped himself down on a hard plastic chair linked to others at the arm. "This flight is eleven hours and thirty-two minutes. What am I supposed to do that whole time?"

"You should be sleep for most of it." Raven said.

"I thought I told everyone that at team meeting." Robin said as he took a seat beside the green titan.

Cyborg stared out the window to watch the incoming planes. "You did man. But BB always tunes you out during meetings."

The green boy himself scratched his neck and forced a chuckle. "It's not my fault…you're kinda repetitive." He avoided his leader's eyes and Robin only sighed.

"We're riding first class. Not much to be upset about." Bumblebee added while she searched in her bag for her cell phone.

Beast boy slouched in the hard chair. "I know, I know."

The titans fell into idol chitchat as they waited for the time to board the plane. Beast boy and Cyborg whipped out bright blue and red handheld devices and shouted insults to each other. Of course the two would find a way to bring any type of video game even if it was a Nintendo D.S. It was the empath's luck to be seated beside the annoying green been for eleven and half hours straight. Robin and Starfire sat two seats up and Cyborg and Bumblebee in the seat ahead of the boy wonder.

Even before the plane took off Raven had buried her head in her new book; eyes eagerly drifted across the uncharted pages. Beast boy remained silent, his heart pounded wildly against his ribcage. His glove covered hands were clammy and he felt slightly light headed. Only she had this effect on him whether she knew it or not, not even Terra could do that to him. He didn't trust his speaking capability one bit so he immersed himself in the handheld game against Cyborg.

There, she sensed his nervousness again. Raven marked her place in the book and peeked at him from the corner of her eye. His face, despite it being green was now a pale a green. Raven bit her bottom lip and averted her eyes back to her book. The titans had all matured over the years both physically and mentally.

Beast boy in particular was tall enough that he could tower over Raven which made her the new shortest titan. Even with the invisible heels inside her boots she was still very short compared to her teammates. His jokes were still painful to listen to but he wasn't as persistent with them and no longer hid his insecurities with them. He wasn't wiry and skinny anymore but he wasn't buff either. He was well toned from their missions and training.

"Um, Raven?"

She turned her head and raised a thin eyebrow, "Yes?"

The nervous vibes that she felt from him were now crashing down on her like waves. "Well I was um...er...uh."

"If you don't have anything to say th-

Beast boy looked as if he were going to pass out. "Iwaswonderingifyouwantedtodosomethingwhenwegetthere?" He rushed out. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

The words had tumbled out of his mouth faster than Raven could comprehend. She closed her book with an index finger holding her place. "Come again? I didn't quite get that."

Beast boy's cheeks flushed red, resembling a Christmas ornament of some sort. "Would you possibly consider spending time with me in Fiji? You don't have to…" He trailed off and left the sentence hanging.

Raven was glad her hood was stilled pulled over her head, hopefully concealing the blush that invaded her cheeks. Even with that, she still felt extremely vulnerable to him.

"Um…sure."

The words had left her mouth before she had time to stop them. The boy next to her sighed in relief as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Did she just agree to willingly spend time with him? Thoughts floated around her mind; questioning her sanity. People gasped in worry when the plane shifted dangerously in the air for a few moments. They had caught turbulence before it smoothed out. Beast boy noticed the girl's embarrassment and smirked to himself.

"Oops." Raven muttered. Her powers had slipped as she let her emotions bubble out.

Three hours had passed and she discarded her leather bound book. Her eyelids were becoming heavier as the minutes ticked by. Raven warily eyed the green figure beside her, wondering if falling asleep would be a mistake. But she couldn't fight off the fatigue that was quickly overcoming her.

"I'm not going to mess with you, Rae." His eyes were still focused on the small bright screen. "Relax."

Raven bit her lip, "Are you sure?"

He nodded, "Trust me. Besides, I definitely don't want to be thrown out a plane window."

The muscles that had tensed in her body relaxed. Beast boy's deep voice wasn't comical but sincere. She placed her book between the small space beside her and the white wall containing a small window.

"I wouldn't do that." She replied.

"Would you like a pillow and blanket?" A slender blonde flight attendant questioned her.

Raven nodded in appreciation, "Yes please. That'd be nice."

A thin dark blue blanket was passed to her along with a small white pillow. She pulled the blanket up so it rested underneath her chin. Scrunching up the pillow, she laid it against the white wall, her head coming to rest on it.

"Goodnight, Raven."

Her lips twitched, a smile threatened to break out across her face. "Goodnight."

She thought she heard him say something else but she was already dreaming. It was early morning, at least it would've been if they were back in Jump City. The sun was already high in the sky and peeking through the airplane windows that had their shutters open. The majority of the passengers were still asleep underneath thin blankets despite the rays of sunlight. A small click sounded throughout the cabin of the plane.

"Good Morning, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have started our decent. In preparation for landing, please make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened until the plane comes to a complete halt and carry-on luggage are in the compartments above your seats."

The woman's voice was too high pitched and sounded too cherry for what would've been 5:30am. Passengers jumped and stirred awake by the intercom voice. One passenger was in a state of confusion of their whereabouts and others merely slept through the announcement.

The cheery female voice continued on, "Please switch off any electronic devices you may have until the cabin has switched off the seatbelt sign. The flight attendants are currently passing by the cabin to pick up any remaining plates and glasses."

Raven was already awake before the announcement. It was her morning routine as she would usually meditate up on the roof of the tower. She would watch the reddish orange glow of the sun peak up over the water's horizon. Then she would travel down to the Ops room to make a mug of steaming herbal tea. But this morning was different and she was without her beloved tea. Beast boy had his head resting on the arm of the chair and a string of drool leaking out of his mouth and onto his sweater sleeve.

Raven reached out a gray arm to shake him. "Wake up, Beast boy." At first she received no response before doing so again. "Hey, Beast boy." She shook him harder.

Beast boy fought her hands away on the brink of consciousness; between dreaming and reality. "Five more minutes…"

The handheld game he had been playing, rested on the floor and the screen black. It had more likely died from running constantly.

"Wake up now." Raven began in a threatening tone, "Or I swear…"

Her sentence wasn't finished before he bolted up right in his seat next to the empath. His two hands quickly raised in defeat, heart hammering in his rib cage. The last thing he wanted was the plane to crash because of her powers.

"I'm up, I swear I'm up." He grumbled, seeming slightly dazed. He reached down to retrieve his abandoned game system. "…good morning to you too."

Beast boy fixed her with a glare before it melted away into a goofy grin. Raven only rolled her eyes at him before she checked that her seatbelt was secure. The sun was high in the sky since it was actually 1:30pm. It wouldn't matter, Raven would have a week and a half to adjust to the time difference.

"We will arrive on schedule Fiji time 1:38pm. The temperature is reported to be 73 degrees Fahrenheit with an overcast and a small chance of rain."

The landing of the plane was rough as it jostled passengers. In a matter of twenty minutes the titans were off the plane and had retrieved their suitcases. Soon they were standing on the first floor of Nadi airport.

"What now?" Raven asked in a monotone voice.

Robin started towards the glass doors, "We need to get to the cruise port to check in."

"But why must we depart so early?" Starfire had slipped the strap of her pink carry-on over her shoulder.

Bumblebee unzipped her sweater "The crowds and lines are ugly."

The group of five followed their leader outside. The pick-up area was packed with cars and taxis to pick up and drop off people. It was just as busy as the airport in Jump City. And just as it was predicted, the sky was full of clouds that let loose a light drizzle.

"So…which one's our ride?" Beast boy asked.

Robin waved down a white taxi van parked only a few feet away. The black haired man that had owned the taxi held a large white sign with scribbled letters: **Teen Titans**. Raven noticed several others of the same colored taxis doing the same for other people. Suitcases and carry-on bags were soon stashed in the trunk. Raven and Cyborg sat in the pilot seats while Starfire took passenger. Which left the other three titans to the back. The hour and half drive lasted in uncomfortable silence.

Starfire was the first one to break the silence. "Is that the cruise ship over there?" She pointed for everyone else to look.

"Where? I don't see it." Beast boy whipped his head around so he could see it too.

Robin sighed, "Right there."

He ended up turning Beast boy's head in the proper direction. Sure enough through the glimpses of trees and past the highway bridges the white ship could be seen. Although they still had a good half hour drive to go.

"This is exciting guys." Bumblebee struggled to gently push Beast boy back into his seat between her and Robin. "I can't believe we're on vacation."

Robin nodded in agreement, "Seeing the ship for the first time is pretty exciting."

Raven on the other hand had been entertained by her book. She easily tuned out the outbursts from her teammates as she endured the long drive to the ocean. Since the moment they headed out for their flight they had been moving in a rush. Robin was strict with their scheduling so they wouldn't miss their boarding time.

Cyborg leaned heavily on one of his arms. "It's s'posed to be the seventh largest cruise ship in the world."

"Dude, sweet!" Beast boy was nearly bouncing in his seat as was Starfire.

Time passed by quickly as they drove closer to the ports and the ships could be seen at their respective heights. Being right on the ocean, the weather had more of a chill to it compared to when they were at the airport. By then Raven had tucked her book away into her carry-on bag and took to staring out the window.

Cyborg had a wide grin on his face, "Let's see who can spot the ship first."

The rest of the taxi was full of eager conversations and pointing to different ships. Even Raven was wrapped up in the wonders of the trip she would soon embark on. She was almost glad that Robin had made this particular vacation mandatory.

The driver quieted the titans only for a moment. "We will be heading into terminal two."

"Ooh, there is the Carnival of Conquest." Starfire shouted as they approached the ship to their right. Chain link fences surrounded the many cars in its parking lot.

Bumblebee replied to her, "There's the Allure."

Both ships competed in size and width but were equally massive. Anticipation quickly settled over Raven and it felt as if the driver was too slow. She hadn't even uttered a word since they left the airport. There was no need to. The driver bypassed the Allure cruise ship and left the titans to glance back at the receding ship that was docked.

The taxi continued forward and soon pulled over off to the side in the drop off area. Another taxi pulled to a stop in front of them as well as regular cars that intended to drop people off. Others drove their own cars and used a parking garage while others took a metro bus.

"There's our boat right there." Robin said from the back seat. Cyborg and Raven slid both sides of the door open to step out.

Raven held onto the strap of her bag. "You mean our ship?" She indicated to the Regal Princess.

Robin only rolled his eyes at her correct term. "Whatever, it's basically the same thing." After he stepped out, Robin paid the driver the expenses of their trip to the terminal.

"Are y'all ready?" Bumblebee asked and Beast boy handed the woman her blue suitcase. "The ship is so big, I can't wait."

Robin had a frown set on his face. "We're late. We should've been here at least two hours ago."

"Relax man," Cyborg said and took his own suitcase out the trunk. "People are still checking in and it's only about 3:00pm."

After everyone's bags were out the car, Beast boy closed the trunk. Raven stared at the friends before she gave her input. "Yeah, but people are starting to get on."

She proceeded to point out a slow moving line in the crowd which was slightly blocked from white over hangs. Robin ushered his team to hurry up with their belongings and to follow after him

"But we wanted to be here around 1:00pm or 2:30pm." The black haired boy continued to get his point across.

Raven shook her head and followed anyways. "Not much you change about that. At least we're here."

"It's not too late, Robin." Starfire added as they made their way into the terminal. The shade hung over them and the sun peaked through the clouds.

Starfire and Beast boy fell into step beside each other and talked animatedly about the trip. Both of them shared their equal amounts of excitement and the activities that had already planned to do. Robin and Raven continued to harmlessly bicker with one another while Bumblebee and Cyborg's conversation was drowned out by the crowd of people waiting.

"And it's packed like sardines in here." Bumblebee rolled her suitcase on the ground. All of the titans had attached blue and white tags to their suitcases specifically for the cruise.

The team of six trudged on towards the back of the never ending line and attracted attention from American based fans. Several children had requested autographs from each of them in turn. One boy in particular—that stood in front of them in line—talked Cyborg's ear off. But the half robot himself didn't seem to mind in the least.

It wasn't long until a form was passed out to the passengers waiting in line. The only problem was that Raven hadn't even thought of bringing a pen in the first place. She wasn't even aware of such a form to be passed out.

"I wish to know what this is." Starfire skimmed through the technical words of the form. A mask of confusion overpowered her eagerness.

Beast boy searched his pockets but came up empty. "It's a public health questionnaire, they want to know if we've recently been sick." He answered before Robin had the chance to. "Uh, does anyone have a pen I could borrow?"

"Right here." Robin waved the silver pen in the air and hurriedly filled out the white half sheet of paper. "Just a sec."

Cyborg grimaced and held a hand to his metal covered stomach. "I'm starving." To prove his point a loud growl emerged from his stomach.

"Here," Starfire had reached in her bag. "I believe this will help." She handed him a granola bar in a purple wrapper.

Beast boy's eyes widened. "What else ya got in there, Star?"

The line was moving but it wasn't as quick as Raven wanted it to be. The titans had walked through security, this time being with no incidents. They continued onward until they reached a see through tunnel that led passengers to board the ship. It had taken nearly an hour just to get through the building, security, and onto the ship itself.

Starfire smiled, "We're finally on the ship."

It was a sensory overload for Raven. The hundreds of emotions that swirled through her from other passengers made her light headed. The humming of voices, and greetings from the staff filled the air. The staff took pictures of the boarding passengers and Beast boy was convinced the team to take a group photo. Tan couches were littered in the piazza with several white marble staircases with gold railing that led up to the next landing.

"Wow." Bumblebee grinned. "Well, let's start explorin'"

Beast boy abandoned his suitcase, "Let's go eat, Cy! We technically missed breakfast _and_ lunch." He led the way out the door with Cyborg following him.

Robin was decent enough to lean against the wall and wait for his girlfriend. While Bumblebee and Raven felt obligated to look after the two suitcases that had toppled onto the patterned marble floor.


	3. Ocean Eyes

Ocean Eyes

"Uh, are you sure about this?" Raven's voice was small and sounded softer than usual.

The green man nodded. "Yeah, unless you're scared."

The two of them stood standing in the line that wound up the laminate wooden steps. Beast boy held onto a double white inner tube and stood behind the empath. He was barefoot and only wore purple and white striped trunks and exposed his well-toned chest. She didn't fail to notice that his teasing tone was absent as he had answered her.

Raven shook her head, No, I'm not." She had promised him they would spend time together back on the plane. It would be cruel to deny it to him now and walk away. "I thought you'd enjoy playing video games with Cyborg."

Beast boy shrugged, "And pass this up? No way."

She folded her arms across her chest and leaned her side against the cool railing. The steps were drenched in water which caused her to curl her toes. Starfire and Jinx had bought her a black bikini without her consent on one of their mall trips. She remembered how Bumblebee encouraging the two women and Argent had told her to try it on. It was needless to say that the experience was embarrassing. It didn't matter anyway as she wore a pale pink shirt over it. Raven personally thought the black apparel was too revealing for comfort.

"C'mon, Rae," Beast boy pressed a hand to her back and prodded her forward. "We're next in line."

The two of them watched as two older women disappeared down the black and red slide. Now Raven was trembling so much that it was impossible not to notice. It turned something as simple as standing into a challenge.

"Well, too late to turn back now." She said under her breath.

Beast boy's ears perked up with his sensitive hearing. "Are you sure you don-

"I'm fine." She said out loud, although her quivering body denied that. "I'm not a coward." She muttered to herself. Then the memory of denying her fear rushed to the front of her mind. "Fine, I'm scared but so what?" Now she was beginning to talk to herself.

Cold water reached her ankles as she stepped onto the opening of the slide. She managed to sit on the front of the inner tube, her feet dangled in front of her. Beast boy sat behind her; legs resting near the side of her shoulders. Water rushed around the inner tube and Raven grasped onto the black handles.

A dark skinned life guard dressed in red one-piece swim suit stood beside them. The lady then crouched over and held the inner tune back and stared at her watch. Raven's heart felt like it dropped into her stomach which caused a queasy feeling.

"Beast boy I ch-

She was cut off by her own piercing scream that managed to escape from her lungs. Without warning, the life guard had shoved them down the swirling slide. Leaving them with the rushing cold water and enveloping them in pitch black darkness.

"Woo Hoo!"

His scream intertwined with hers. Although Beast boy's was full of excitement, Raven's scream was filled with terror. The ride in the dark seemed to last forever, twisting and turning them every which way. In reality, it was only a few short seconds until they shot out the tunnel slide. The light of day temporarily blinded the two of them.

"You okay?" He asked after her prolonged silence.

The couple idly floated in a pool of water from where they flew out. Beast boy adjusted himself so he was able to slide out of the pool toy. He took hold of the back and paddled them over to the steps. He saw her slowly nod her head but noticed her tight grip on the rubber handles.

"You don't have to lie." He held out a green hand to help her up.

Raven accepted his offer and held onto his slippery hand, "Beast boy, I'm perfectly fine."

He grinned at her, "So, you _don't_ mind doing that again?"

She held her hands up in defense, "Once was enough."

Raven bit her lip as she watched him frown. She couldn't help but notice the destruction her powers and emotions had caused. Numerous lounge chairs were laying in plastic shards along with toppled over umbrellas A good amount of people looked distressed and confused.

Beast boy discarded the pool balloon on the deck. "You know you had fun." He said and turned towards her upon seeing her grimace. "It wasn't that bad was it?"

Raven didn't respond and he moved to stand in front of her. His own frown was replaced with a goofy grin; fang protruding out from his lower lip. Her pink T-shirt was a little wet and Beast boy finally recognized the fear in her lavender eyes. She had tried to dispel all the emotions from her face but they resided in her eyes instead.

"Or we could do something you want to do." He shrugged, "Swim later or something." He didn't care what they did as long as she was still in his presence.

Raven felt that sinking feeling her stomach again, like reverse butterflies. She had promised him for crying out loud. She would admit to no one, but she had actually warmed up to him and actually did enjoy his company. She liked him too, liked him more than she should have. She couldn't pin point it exactly when but she knew it was before the geomancer had come along. And Raven found it difficult to deny him anything.

"No." She muttered and walked towards another set of stairs. "This is…fun."

She gave him one of her precious rare smiles. She turned away from him when she felt her cheeks grow hot. This was out of character for Raven to do. She almost _never_ smiled at him and she definitely never blushed because of him.

Beast boy quickly reclaimed the abandoned inner tube and hurried after her. "I knew you liked it."

They were now in line for a pink and purple slide with an open top. It would swirl them around before they would disappear in a hole that led the rest of the way down the slide. Beast boy's white teeth shone as he smiled; happier than ever.

In fact, the last time he was that happy was when he was with Terra. It was a long four years ago but the geomancer left her mark. Raven visibly cringed as she remembered the blonde girl that had betrayed them and shattered his heart. If Terra had been there, Raven honestly believed Beast boy would be having an even more enjoyable time. She turned the fact over in her head a few times. But then Raven would've been left out of everything. She shook her head to rid herself of memory and forced herself to enjoy the present.

"What's the matter?" The teen asked, "Too much sunlight for you?" He was implying that she almost always stayed cooped up in her dark room.

Raven flashed him another rare smile. "Just daydreaming." She effortlessly excused her actions. Now all she had to do was act eager to keep him from questioning her any further. "C'mon hurry up." Or what was eager for her.

She tugged on his wrist to get him to follow her up the steps. She finally let go when they stood behind a tall and skinny boy. The fear twisted knots into her stomach; heights didn't bother her as she always levitated. It was the water that she wasn't too fond of. Beast boy took a deep breath to steady his emotions, his heartbeat went erratic from any physical contact with her. It took him another moment to mask over his emotions; he had to be extra careful around her. She was highly sensitive to emotions and if she chose to; read his mind.

"Are you going to be scared this time?"

"I wasn't scared the first time." She defended, "What makes this time any different?"

He shook his head, "Liar. Did ya not remember how scared you sounded?" He chuckled, "Just as bad as Star discovering rats in the basement."

Raven fixed him with a glare but it melted away seconds later. The line was moving fast and her heart was sprinting just like before. _I'll be fine. We're on an inner tube and it's not like I'll drown_. Raven chose to ignore his comment and made her way to sit on the floating device. Just like before he sat behind her before a male life guard pushed them forward.

"Oh, Azar." She shut her eyes tightly. "Why did I agree to this?"

Beast boy gave a shout of delight, "How can you not like this, Raven?"

They swirled in a large circle before they were deposited down the black hole. It wasn't pitch-black but it was still dark. The patches of pink in the slide filtered in small amounts of light. A high pitch scream that had been building up inside of her, escaped once more. Her fingers were clamped onto the handles so tightly it hurt. Sure enough, her knuckles would be tinged red as well. Her stomach did constant somersaults while Beast boy just laughed. Eventually, the light at the end of the tunnel was seen just before they popped out.

Beast boy's hands covered his pointed ears, "Sheesh, you can make someone's ears bleed." He teased her. Raven frowned back at him and the two made their way out of the pool.

"…and then Robin and I did the iced skating!" Starfire was practically glowing with happiness.

The six titans had met up around 7:00pm for light dinner as it was growing late. At least for Robin, Starfire, Bumblebee, and Raven; a _light_ meal did not exist in the two other titans' vocabulary. Cyborg was on his second coke and forth cheese burger while Beast boy was on his third veggie burger.

"Glad you had fun, Star" Robin had taken hold of her hand in his. "We even went zip-lining."

Starfire turned to her other friends, "What did you both do?"

Beast boy swallowed before he answered. "Raven and I mostly hung out on the sky deck."

"We hit the movie theater." Bumblebee took a sip of her water and the ice cups clanked against the glass.

"BB, they even have the best scare-the-living-daylights-out-of-you, horror movies." Cyborg managed to say behind a mouthful of food.

Beast boy eyes seemed to twinkle, "No way."

The dark skin woman smirked. "Believe it."

Cyborg nodded; reaching for his soda. "They're showing _Eyes in the Dark_ tomorrow night. You up for it?"

The green man smiled. "You bet."

Robin looked away from Starfire then, "We've barely seen each other since we arrived today. Why don't we go swimming later?"

Starfire's green eyes seemed to shine, "How wonderful. We can find the Marco and the Polo."

"I'm down." Cyborg brushed off both of his hands.

"Sure, sounds fun." Beast boy agreed.

Bumblebee took another sip of water. "Why not?"

"No thanks."

Everyone looked up and stared at the empath. Sensing their stares and curious emotions, she met their questioning eyes. She set her long cooled cup of tea on the table before she answered.

"I wanted to check out the library on the forth deck." Her deadpanned voice was back.

Cyborg was the first to answer, "If _he_ ," His index finger pointed at their leader, "Can go a week and a half without being paranoid with the evidence room and training. Can't you go a week and a half without books?"

Cyborg didn't dare ask her why she couldn't just stop meditating altogether as well. After visiting the inside of her mind with Beast boy through her mirror, he understood her slightly better than before. Meditation was a necessity; a requirement. Not an option.

Beast boy stopped stuffing his face, "Aw Rae, Cy's right. You _always_ read. What's a week and a half?"

"Yeah girl," Bumblebee gave her input on the matter, "You need to sit back and relax for once."

Starfire had even gotten involved, "Beast boy and Cyborg are correct. You do tend to do the reading for endless hours." Robin kept his mouth shut in order to preserve his life a little longer.

Raven's eyes narrowed into slits, "Fine. I won't read if you two don't play video games and refrain from movies for a week and a half."

"Point taken." Cyborg shrugged before he pushed the white plate away from him.

Raven then turned to Beast boy, "And it's Raven, not Rae."

With that, Raven excused herself from the table in order to begin her walk to the library. She hadn't bothered to change out of the swim suit and pink T-shirt that clung to her petite figure. All Beast boy could do was watch her retreating figure before he slouched in his chair. Raven hadn't been cold to him all day until then which bothered him more than he liked.

"I am going to do the changing of my clothes." Starfire excused herself and stood up.

Bumblebee did the same. "We'll meet you at the pool." She waved the three boys off.

"Dude!" Beast boy threw his arms in the air after he sat up straight. "I can't believe I just let her walk away."

Robin raised a thick eyebrow at his teammate. Then he and Cyborg shared a look before they both broke out with grins on their faces.

"So…" Cyborg began, his mischievous smile widened.

Beast boy raised an eyebrow, "So what?"

Robin snickered, "You and Raven, huh?"

"…"

"Don't give us that B, we know you like Raven." Cyborg said.

"Dudes, I thought you _knew_ I liked her." Beast boy's eyes grew as wide as saucers.

Robin fought and failed to keep the grin off his face. "Good, so you admit it."

Beast boy folded his arms over his shirt covered chest. "Look who's talking. Took you years to tell Starfire and everyone knew except you two."

Cyborg howled with laughter, "Same with you and Rae, man." He laughed even harder and caused people to stare. Both of his teammates went red in the face from the unwanted attention.

"Help?" He chuckled sheepishly.

"You'll need it so she doesn't end up killing you." Robin agreed. "Or tossing you overboard."

Cyborg laughed a bit more. "When's the last time Raven has even threatened you with that and meant it? Three years ago?"

"It was four days ago to be exact." Robin remembered Beast boy's unwanted polar bear swim. "Frankly, I think you deserved it. You shouldn't have chased her around the tower with mistletoe."

"Oh yeah," Cyborg recalled the event. "And it was holly. Anyways we'll help you, man."

Beast boy shrugged. "Sweet, I'll meet you guys at the pool in fifteen minutes." Beast boy jumped up from his seat. "I'll bring Raven." Soon he was off and dodged people as he ran on the deck.

"Beast boy," Robin called, joking manner set aside. "No!"

"Yo BB, wait up." Cyborg tried. "His butt." He said, implying that Raven would more likely inflict pain on him if he embarrassed her.

It took a lengthy amount of time to find it, but he managed to. He walked in and was faced with shelved of books of all kinds of genes. Blue and white chairs to the left over looked the blue ocean. A globe of the world sat in the center of the chairs on wheels. Now all he had to do was find his purple haired beauty. The library only had less than five people in it.

Beast boy walked down the aisles of bookshelves and glanced down both aisles in turn. Soon he moved towards the wooden staircase that wound up to the next landing. He had a double take when he saw her leaning against the shelf with a book in her right hand. She looked a bit out of place with her attire but Raven was completely oblivious as he snuck up behind her. He clamped his large green hands over the short woman's eyes. In surprise, she dropped the thin book she was holding.

"Guess who?" He asked her while she tried to pry his hands off her face.

Raven heaved a sigh as if she didn't want to be dealing with this. "Beast boy." She had guessed right off the bat. She folded her arms across her chest in annoyance.

"That's right." He removed his hands only to place one hand on the back of her knees and the other gently on her back. He swiftly bent down to gather her up in his arms so he held her bridal style.

In shock, she gaped at him. "Put me down now."

Beast boy ignored her and the stares from the scarce passengers. He made his way back down the staircase and started out in a light jog. In the position they were in, Raven was forced to wrap her arms around his neck. Luckily enough, they were able to make it into the always crowded elevator. Surprisingly, she didn't beat him silly with her powers. Perhaps she had simply forgotten but Beast boy wasn't going to be the one to remind her.

She hung onto him with loose arms, "What do you want?"

The elevator doors opened on both sides and it took her a moment to realize where they were. They were on the sky deck once more that day and crowds of people were swimming, in hot tubs, or in line for the waterslides. It wasn't until she saw her other teammates swimming that she realized what his intentions were.

Robin had his eyes closed but his hands outstretched from his body. "Marco."

Starfire giggled, "Polo." She dodged away from her boyfriend's arms and swam near Cyborg. It was a difficult task as the pool was crowded with all age ranges.

"You're so close, Robin." Bumblebee said from behind the boy wonder. Before he could fully turn around, Bumblebee ducked underneath the water.

"Fish out of water." Robin called out but heard nothing. Only screaming, crying, and a buzz of conversations intermingling with laughter.

A confused expression crossed Starfire's face and her eyebrows furrowed. "What does a fish have to do with finding the Marco and the Polo?" Cyborg turned to her to explain all the while dodging Robin's arms.

"Beast boy, no." Raven cried out, her body tensed up and she was paralyzed with fear. "Don't!"

It was too late as he was already midair with Raven in his arms, his feet entered the water first. The two of them plunged deep into the water and bubbles erupted around the two. Raven had a death grip on Beast boy's neck, more so out of fear than any anger she might've felt. She didn't have the chance to take her last breath of air before they had plunged under the water. Her oxygen supply was running out too quickly but they were so far below the water's surface.


	4. Craving Wishes

Craving Wishes

Raven inhaled for air that her lungs so desperately craved. Instead chlorinated pool water rushed in with a salty taste and filled her lungs. Her eyes opened underneath the water as they began to ascend to the surface. A wild look shone in her crystalline eyes before she began coughing up water. Beast boy had tried to release her but her thin arms remained locked around his shoulder in an iron grip. He would've laughed at her expression if the fear in her eyes wasn't present. The other four titans had stopped their game to observe the commotion that had happened just seconds prior.

"Is Raven the okay?" Starfire moved the loose strands of her long hair that clung to her face.

Robin stared at the couple a distance away. "I don't think so, Star. If anything, she'll kill him for that."

"Long lived Beast boy." Cyborg agreed.

Robin then shared a knowing look with Cyborg. The three of them made no move to intervene but watched from a safe distance. They couldn't even hear the words being exchanged between the two friends. The two boys had warned Beast boy earlier but he was out of earshot then. Beast boy did his best to swim to the shallow end while Raven still had him in a death grip. It wasn't an easy feat to keep from drowning both of them but it wasn't impossible.

"Uh…Raven you can just stand up now." A light blush tainted his cheeks at the awkwardness.

She observed her surroundings and came to the conclusion that they were in three feet of water. She quickly released her grip on him. Raven stumbled backwards away from him and nearly fell into the water. Beast boy's green arms flashed out and held onto her arms to help steady her.

Raven avoided his gaze, "Right." She turned her back on him and hurriedly waded through the pool. Her eyes were locked onto the steps that lead out of the pool.

"Raven, are you alright?" Starfire asked, floating on her back and moving into Raven's path. "Have you changed your mind and decided to join us?"

She shook her head; the water droplets came loose. "No."

"But th-

"Sorry but no Star."

The five titans watched the retreating Raven as she left the pool. She rung out her long and dripping purple hair and sat in a plastic blue chair. Her lungs burned with the chemically treated water and her eyes weren't any better. A sharp pain stabbed her every time she took a breath which forced her to breath shallowly. Her face burned red with embarrassment. People had _seen_ , not all of them but a good amount. She had almost drowned. Raven's heart still pounded in her chest from the adrenaline rush that surged throughout her veins. She could even hear her heartbeat thudding in her ears. She settled for drying off and watching her friends, her arms crossed and a small pout settled on her lips. It wasn't until Beast boy's absence from the pool that she began to wonder of his whereabouts.

"Before you scream at me and throw me overboard," He appeared from behind her and took a seat in the plastic chair next to her. "I'm really, _really_ sorry for doing that to you…I wasn't thinking. Sure I knew you'd kill me but…" He trailed off.

Raven raised an eyebrow at him, "But what?"

She saw him shrug, "I didn't expect you to have a panic attack." He finished.

She glared at him then, "I wasn't panicking." It was her sad attempt at a lie and to cover up her embarrassment. She knew she shouldn't have even tried to argue.

Beast boy rolled his green eyes at her, "You can't deny that. What, you can't swim or something?"

Raven averted her gaze and didn't intend to reply to him. She was awful at lying and this time she saved herself the trouble of trying. She seemed all too interested with the loose strand on her drenched T-shirt. Beast boy waited several moments to give her the chance to admit it to him first. He could easily read the tell-tale signs of her previous actions that swimming was the problem.

"You really can't swim, is that why you went to the library instead?" He prodder her with another question and could only hope that he wasn't prying.

Raven seemed to shrink away from him but quietly nodded her head. She half expected to hear his deep laughter for not knowing how to do something so simple. She prepared to feel the stabbing pain that would reach her heart, the one that she would fight so desperately against. Only two people could make her feel that way who went by the names of Malchior and Terra. _If s_ _ **he**_ _was here, we wouldn't be having this conversation…I would still be in the library._ Raven's head swarmed with those thoughts and possible different outcomes that could have been but didn't matter at the moment.

"Rae, did you hear me?" Beast boy's eyebrows knitted together in concern.

She shook her head and the water droplets flew. "Sorry."

This was weird to Beast boy; her behavior was so unlike Raven. Raven wouldn't have apologized to him so easily. By now, Cyborg would've tossed him a life saver. He had even seen her blush a select few times with the absence of her indigo cloak back at home. So quick he wasn't even sure; he saw her true emotions flit across her face before she composed herself.

"I said that you don't need to know how to swim to still have fun with us." He scrutinized her reaction.

Raven seemed to fidget under his gaze, but again she had no intention to say anything. She bit her bottom lip but when she found him still looking, she struggled to put on a straight face.

"C'mon it'll be fun." Beast boy told her as he stood up.

Raven shook her head and made no move to follow him. "But th-

"…but what?" Beast boy coaxed, she had stopped herself short of whatever she was going to tell him. "We can stay in the shallow end."

She closed her eyes, "Please don't make me do this." She wasn't only frightened of drowning, she feared water itself. A phobia.

"I won't stop you from sitting out." Beast boy quickly amended. "Are you going to be alright?"

Raven nodded her head and looked up into his concerned eyes. "I'd rather sit here."

"And no worries, I won't tell them that you can't swim." Beast boy assured her. Raven nodded at him; a sign that she had heard him.

Beast boy nodded at her answer. He hesitated before he walked back towards the pool and gave her a backwards glance. But Raven was occupied with towel drying her hair off. The four titans had resumed their game but it was obvious that they were distracted. Robin had managed to tag Bumblebee as she was now it. But upon Beast boy's return she opened her eyes.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Cyborg scolded his friend's actions.

Robin's lips were pressed in a hard line, "That was dangerous Beast boy, she could've been injured." He gave Beast boy a disapproving look beneath his mask. "Just because we're on vacation, it doesn't mean the rules don't apply to us."

Beast boy nodded. "I know." He automatically felt younger, it felt similar to Mento scolding him when he was a child. "I didn't really think about it an-

"Don't let it happen again." Robin interrupted.

"Is she alright?" Bumblebee nodded her head to the empath lying on a chair. The sun had set nearly twenty minutes prior.

Beast boy stared at each of his teammates and guiltily shrugged his shoulders. "She says she is but Raven doesn't look like it."

Starfire glanced in the direction of their friend. "Perhaps I may talk to her?"

"Uh, she might want to be left alone for a bit." Cyborg added, he leaned over to Robin and spoke in a hushed tone. "This is a new record: she lets Beast boy get away with _that_ and he wasn't maimed."

Robin nodded in agreement but didn't analyze it any further. "Maybe she's finally coming around to him."

"In a little while then." Starfire turned back on the chairs. "Shall we continue or game in the meantime? Bumblebee is the Polo."

Beast boy shook his head, "That got old. Let's play shark and minnows." Upon seeing Robin's glare, he added: "I promise not to turn into a shark this time."

"It's the same concept." Bumblebee had both hands on her hips.

Raven stared at the dark sky, it was much easier to see the stars as the skies had cleared. Living in Jump City made it difficult to star gaze with the city lights. Even if she did live in the tower that sat in the ocean. She shivered from still wearing her damp clothes and cooled air from the absence of the sun's warmth. She had already found four different constellations. Out of the corner of her eye Starfire sat beside her on a different chair.

And as expected Starfire was the one to break the silence. "Do you wish to talk about it?" She could very well sense that the empath was a little off.

"No thanks." Raven shifted so the white towel she was given, rested on her shoulders. "Why aren't you with them?" A flash of hurt crossed Starfire's features. "I mean not that I don't appreciate your presence."

Starfire's eyes traveled to her friends that we're trying to hold a relay race in the crowded pool. "I have accidently ingested too much of the nasty pool water." She shivered at the thought of it. "And my arms are sore."

"Ah." Raven mumbled and glanced at the red haired woman before returning her eyes to the sky.

"Am I being of the nuisance to you?" Starfire prodded, "If you wish I could leave. I merely suspected that you are not feeling well."

Raven was quiet as she processed Starfire's anxious words. "No, I'd like it if you'd stayed."

"I would be glad to." Starfire relaxed in the chair with her hands clasped in her lap.

She craved Starfire's cheery presence. Her happiness blocked out Raven's fear of drowning. The fact that she almost _had_ drowned had truly shaken her up. But now she was far from the water's edge despite the fact they were still in the middle of the ocean. As long as she immersed herself in the cruise activities it wouldn't be as bad.

Raven hesitated before she initiated the conversation, "Would you…like to stargaze with me?"

It wasn't unusual for the pair to participate in activities with one another. On the occasion Starfire would meditate with her, even Bumblebee had given it a try a couple of times. They had sleep overs with the other titans and had participated in boy talk. Although, Raven would never give an indication that she had a crush on someone.

"I'd love to."

Raven outstretched her gray arm, "If you look there, you'll find Orion." She explained it further until Starfire could see the same image as her. "

"Oh, I see it!" Starfire exclaimed. "And what of the little and big dipper Robin has told me about?"

It was the very first time that Starfire could actually stargaze. Cyborg had planned a camping trip for them during the summer that had been repeatedly pushed back. And before the titans knew it, summer had faded into autumn and the snow began to fall. Dealing with unpredictable villains that caused trouble and charity events held by the mayor. The two of them continued to watch the sky and Starfire had even pointed out a few she recognized from pictures.

"A shooting star," Starfire exclaimed and made sure Raven saw it. "You are to make the wish." Sure enough a thin white streak traveled amongst the stars before disappearing.

Raven turned her head to look at the amused woman. "You believe in that?"

"It does not hurt to pretend."

That was something Starfire would say. Raven couldn't thing of a simple thing to wish for. Thoughts of all sorts raced through her mind but she could pick one out in particular. By the time she had weeded it out she deemed it too late to make a wish. Not that Raven would even tell Starfire that she in fact did have a wish in mind. It was ridiculous, those types of things were for small children and apparently people who liked to pretend.

The one thing Raven ever wanted was to have complete control over her powers and emotions. The one thing Azar herself couldn't grant the cursed empath. It wasn't as if she didn't want to feel, she simply wasn't allowed to. And she disliked it. Showing no emotions limited her in ways she didn't even know possible.

"Hey," Cyborg called to the two women.

Raven was knocked out of her reverie as four tall titans approached. "Is something wrong?" Starfire questioned.

Bumblebee shook her head. "We're getting' soft serve ice cream. Did y'all wanna come?"

"Certainly." Starfire stood up but slipped on a puddle of water from when she had gotten out the pool. Her knees hit the deck first and both hands slapped against the ground; sure to give her a stinging sensation.

Beast boy standing the closest helped Starfire to her feet. "You good, Star?"

"That was quite a fall." Robin agreed and examined his girlfriend for any injuries.

Starfire brushed both of them off. "I have faced much worse in battle."

It was a true statement. A little slip hadn't phased the tamaranian one bit. Compared to all the times she had been struck down by a villain or crashed through cement, it was hardly worth fussing about.

Raven pulled off the white towel. "Sounds…good."

"Alright then." Cyborg said he led the way off the sky deck and trusted that his friends would follow.

It took about seven minutes of walking on the eleventh deck. Cyborg held open the glass door of _Candy Cove._ Raven could smell the sweet aroma a foot away from the door. A lot of people roamed around the large store. Candy of all types that ranged from hard, to fudge, to soft, to sour sat on different shelves. Near the back of the store sweet pastries sat behind a little glass with even more candy resting on top. Off to the side was a set of self-serve ice cream machines with the options of a bowl or different types of cones.

"You can't eat ice cream with a bowl." Beast boy eyed Raven's hands which indeed held a red and white bowl.

Raven stared at him. "And how else do you suggest I eat it?"

"With a chocolate covered waffle cone." Beast boy said it as if it was the first time Raven had even heard of such a thing.

"Of course you would say that." But she replaced the bowl on the stack she had took it from. And she reached for a cone as Beast boy suggested.

Bumblebee stepped out of the way after she had made her ice cream, "It's getting pretty cold." With her free hand she rubbed her opposite arm in order to create friction.

Raven nodded in agreement, "A hot shower would feel nice."

"How could you have gotten vanilla?" Cyborg said, he obviously disapproved her choice of flavor.

Raven hesitantly licked the cold treat which didn't help her current body temperature. "Easy. I picked up a cone and pulled the lever." Her voice was full of sarcasm.

"You know what I mean." Cyborg muttered and took a chunk out of his strawberry ice cream. "You are such a plain Jane."

"Whatever, I tend to like it." Raven replied, but vanilla had been her favorite choice of ice cream for some time now. In a way Cyborg was right, she wouldn't even bother to try out a new flavor.

The group of six headed out of the shop after they all had the flavor they wanted. Robin had spotted an empty table and they all made their way over. As they talked, Raven found herself lost in her own thoughts once more. The cold treat didn't fail to raise chill bumps up and down her exposed arms. She was the last to finish eating her waffle cone and was quite full afterwards.

"…showing fireworks tonight." Robin said.

Bumblebee used a napkin to wipe her mouth, "Actually I think I'm going to head to my cabin. "I'm exhausted."

Beast boy agreed with her. "We still have tons of stuff to do tomorrow. I'm going to bed early." That was news if he claimed to sleep early. He always stayed up late until the early hours whether it be playing video games, a movie marathon, rarely talking to Raven or lost in his own thoughts.

"Maybe we'll watch it tomorrow night." Robin said as his friends had different intentions.

Bumblebee stood up from the table as did the rest of titans. Napkins were disposed of before they walked further down the deck to find the crowded elevator. Raven wrinkled her nose at having to stand uncomfortably close to strangers. Soon enough they entered a narrow hallway full of cabins on either side. Raven stared at the light blue carpet that had green lily pads and pink flowers. Finally, they had reached doors 505, 506, and 507 and turned to bid their goodnights. Hugs and kisses between couples were shared but Raven denied any form of contact. The boys were further down the hallway and turned to leave.

"Have the sweet dreams." Starfire waved after them and pulled out room key.

"How about coming to my cabin after our showers?" Bumblebee asked. She then inserted her room key in the slot of door 506.

Starfire nodded, "I shall be quick."

Raven nodded her head, "Alright." She stepped into the cabin she had completely to herself.

Raven shut and locked the door behind her after she turned on the light. She moved to her lavender suitcase that sat in front of a white chair. She frowned at the thought of seeing what Bumblebee and Starfire really packed for her. She searched until she retrieved what looked to be pajamas. Raven was relieved to find a black top with a skull outlined in white wearing a bow. She found the plaid black and white shorts that went with the top and sat it on the edge of the bed.

Raven collected her toiletries and headed towards the small bathroom for her shower. It took nearly four minutes to find out how to work the chrome knobs and then some for warm water. The chrome shower head hung over her and sprouted out warm water that cascaded down her gray skin. Perspiration trickled down the cream colored walls and the scent of cherry blossoms filled the small space. Raven made sure to wash the chlorine out of her hair and basked in the warmth.

Soon she sat on the Bumblebee's bed with Starfire in between them. "I am missing my little Silkie."

"He's being well cared for." Raven curled her knees up to her chest.

Bumblebee was in the middle of channel surfing, "Yeah you shouldn't worry." She sat the black remote on the bed and reached for her gray flip phone on the nearby table. "In fact, Aqualad sent this."

Buttons beeped as she searched for the gallery in her phone. Once there, Bumblebee held up her phone for both women to see. Sure enough the teenaged twins were looking out for Silkie. Menos held out a purple gum drop to feed the worm while Mas was rebuilding a collapsed gingerbread house. Speedy sat on the U-shaped couch, his back turned to face the boys, his face set in a scowl. More likely reprimanding them from letting the worm sit on the kitchen table.

Starfire nodded, "You both are correct. Perhaps my worrying is the unnecessary."

Raven let go of her legs and rested her head on the soft pillow behind her. "It is."

Bumblebee closed the flip phone and replaced it on the table. "Any plans for tomorrow? We'll be on Moala Island."

"Perhaps I will do the hiking." Starfire said, "Or maybe canoe to the deserted islands."

"With Robin no doubt." Bumblebee muttered under her breath. "What about you, Raven?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not sure. Maybe visit a museum."

The rest of the night passed away with the three girls talking to one another and watching TV. Starfire had been the first to nod off and held one of the pillows to her chest. Raven and Bumblebee had continued to talk until her head became clouded and her eyes unfocused. But with the long pauses Raven had succumbed to sleep.


	5. Crystal Skies

Crystal Skies

It was already the second afternoon of their cruise. Raven had woken up with her torso hanging off of Bumblebee's bed. It had resulted in her having a headache from the rush of blood to her head. She had shortly returned to her room to wash up and change her clothes before she headed to breakfast with her friends. Afterwards they headed off the ship to the excursions on Moala Island.

After lunch had rolled around, Raven spent the majority of her time in her cabin. The night's sleep left her feeling restless and she needed to recuperate. Starfire kicked in her sleep which wasn't pleasant and Bumblebee had slept talk for a good portion of the night. Though all her words were jumbled and slurred. Raven had shifted from reading to meditating and back again in a cycle. Three disruptive raps on her door caused her to look up. Closing her book, Raven crossed the room and cracked the door open. It revealed a sheepish looking Beast boy and the many passengers passing behind him.

"Oh…uh hey, Raven." He began, she leaned against the threshold of the door. This was the first time she remained patient with him as he stumbled over his words.

"Yes?" She prompted him. "There must be a reason why you knocked." Her words were gentle as she took in his appearance.

Beast boy rubbed the back of his neck and shifted his feet. "Well, the rest of us were about to go see a movie…the one Cyborg mentioned yesterday." He paused for a moment. Without her slamming the door in his face, he continued. "And I…uh was wondering if you'd like to come?"

Raven nodded her head. Her face remained stoic but on the inside she was ecstatic. The feeling was no doubt from the pink cloaked emoticlone in Nevermore. "Sure. Mind if I grab something really quick?"

"Oh no, go ahead." Beast boy's green eyes widened when she had accepted his offer. He had been prepared for her cold shoulder and heartless rejection.

Raven turned back to her cabin; leaving the door wide open for him to peer in. She shuffled through her suitcase and retrieved a gray sweater. Movie theaters were always cold to her, which sometimes ruined a good movie trying to keep warm. It wasn't any better that she became cold quite easily. As Raven walked beside him, she watched Beast boy visibly relax. She could feel how content he was, a big difference from his strong nerves.

If she chose to, she could've entered his mind, the thought diseased her mind. Beast boy seemed troubled and she had a vague reason why. It wasn't the first time he had acted in such away, his intense emotions had affected her greatly. Raven shook her head to clear her thoughts. _That would be intrusive. The mind is a private place._ They settled for walking up the flights of stairs rather than the forever packed elevators.

"Hey Raven." Robin waved as he saw the two walking towards him. He fought to keep the grin off his face but failed.

Raven noticed this, "What's so funny?"

Robin shrugged his shoulders and Cyborg answered instead. "Inside joke, you wouldn't understand cause it's an inside joke."

She stared at each of them in turn; analyzing their faces. "Right."

She had an even stronger urge to pry into their minds and fought to resist it. The six titans walked into what looked like to be a snack bar before they entered the auditorium. Beast boy and Cyborg filled their pockets with all sorts of sugary candy before getting their own large sized popcorn.

"Raven, are you going to eat the popped corn or perhaps the bars of candy?" Starfire was busy squirting mustard all over the top of her popcorn.

Raven nodded. "I might share with Beast boy." The green man nodded at her statement. "Um, Star mustard really isn't…"

"Uh, that's going to be messy." Bumblebee spoke up instead.

Bumblebee stopped short to save her breath, Starfire was already eating he messy combination of food. Raven cringed on the inside as did all the other titans but no one had intentions to stop her. Robin had explained to her years ago that popcorn usually consisted of butter and salt unless it was caramel, cheese, or kettle corn. The tamaranian knew fairly well but insisted on mustard anyway. They began to walk down a hall and were handed black 3D glasses for the movie.

"What were you about to say?" Starfire asked at having remembered.

Raven followed after Cyborg and Bumblebee into the already dark theater as previews were already showing. "Never mind. It's not important."

Beast boy and Raven sat in the middle of both couples. Cyborg and Beast boy began to eat their candy and Raven held onto the popcorn bowl. It was almost as if they were having an unannounced eating contest and a handful of people had actually watched out of curiosity. Raven shrunk down in her seat as she didn't want to be noticed by their small audience.

Raven slipped on her gray sweater, zipped it all the way up and pulled up the hood. It gave her a small sense of comfort, the rest of the lights dimmed before completely turning dark. The title: _Eyes in the Dark_ appeared on the black screen in slanted writing as if it were blood. She could only hope that there wouldn't be a repeat of what happened a few years ago when she was scared.

During the beginning of the movie Robin and Cyborg found that they couldn't look away. Starfire had shut her eyes tightly, her mustard covered popcorn spilt over the floor and underneath the seat in front of her. Bumblebee had whipped off her 3D glasses but continued to watch. Beast boy had jumped throughout the movie but leaned forward in his seat as if to get better look even if it was in 3D. At some point, Raven had a death grip on Beast boy's arm without realizing it and head down to avoid the gory scene.

"You okay?" Beast boy pulled his eyes away from the screen long enough to look at her. He looked down at his arm and smirked before she had a chance to quickly remove her grip on him.

Shaking her head, Raven whispered back to him. "I think I'm going to skip out." She saw that he was pouting and continued. "I'm not stopping you if you want to come."

Beast boy eagerly nodded and followed the empath out of the theater. The two couples glanced at them as they stood up. Beast boy disposed of the half eaten popcorn and empty candy wrappers in a nearby trash can. Raven kept the hood of her sweater pulled up despite how warm it really was outside. The sun that poured through the windows was bright which made her squint to see. They aimlessly walked and occasionally bumped shoulders until they sat on cushioned bench that overlooked the floor below.

"Sorry." Beast boy said after a while of just sitting in silence.

Raven looked up, "For what?"

"I forgot how horror movies scare you." He gave her an apologetic look.

Raven removed her sweater, she was finally warming up. "I should be then one apologizing." He gave her a questioning look. "You know…for making you miss the movie."

He shook her apology off, "I can finish it another time. No big deal."

The two of them sat in silence for a little while longer, save for the screams of children and the newest pop music that played in speakers. But this time it was a comfortable silence, neither of them felt forced to break it. Her eyes drifted to the crowds of people below who were walking, dancing, and eating.

"I suppose so." She mumbled.

Beast boy sat up straighter, "We have about an hour and fifteen minutes until the movie is over. Wanna do something?"

She fiddled with the sweater in her hands. "Like what?"

"Uh we could go bowling."

Raven considered his option. "They have a bowling alley on a cruise ship?"

"Well they _do_ have a water park on the sky deck." Beast boy said. "I did see a giant chess set somewhere."

"We could go bowling." Raven stood up and waited for him.

Normally, she wouldn't have refused an offer to play such a challenging game. She remembered one of the days Beast boy had asked her if she wanted to play a few weeks ago. It had been storming and the power had even gone out while the rest of the titans were in town. It was the longest game she had been engaged in which lasted for nearly three hours.

Beast boy stood up and walked beside her, "Ha, remember the last time we went bowling?"

"Unfortunately." Raven said and tried to avoid bumping into other people. "I don't think we're allowed back there."

"We are." Beast boy glanced at the short girl beside him. "Starfire isn't."

It had been in August when Cyborg declared they were overdue for a team outing. And of course Robin and Cyborg had suggested bowling, Raven had simply refused to attend the outing. Robin had then made it mandatory. It had been Starfire's first experience with bowling and instead of rolling the heavy yellow ball. She had tossed it which left a dent in the floor but the slip up of her powers from being too excited blasted a hole in the back wall.

"I'm sure Robin isn't too pleased." Raven said.

It had taken a good ten minutes and asking a worker where the bowling alley was. There were only three lanes and only one of them being currently used by a group of four. She sat on a chair and tied her bowling shoes. Raven then moved to enter both of their names into the computer while Beast boy retrieved the balls.

He sat a pink ball on a rack. "This should be light enough for you. You go first."

Raven stood up and took the ball in both her hands. It was still quite heavy but not terribly bad. "Let's hope I'm not too terrible."

"I don't think you could be as bad as Starfire." Beast boy said, still implying that this was a game Raven wasn't good at.

Raven didn't turn around to look at him. "It's not her fault she didn't know how to play."

She swung her hand her hand behind her before she brought the ball back and let it go. The pink ball spun towards the edge and knocked two pins over. She turned back around to see Beast boy give her a sympathetic look before taking his turn. As expected he got a spare; knocking seven pins onto the floor. It was on her fifth turn and second gutter ball when she became concerned.

"I don't know how you do it."

Beast boy picked up the orange ball from the rack. "There is a reason why there's arrows on the ground." He pointed to the lane that he was in. "You want to keep your wrist straight and aim for one of the arrows."

Raven followed his glove covered finger. It had been hard to notice the black arrows painted on the laminated wood. The regular lighting was dimmed and laser lights replaced it. Beast boy stared at her for a moment and watch realization dawn on her. Her lavender eyes lit up with the new piece of knowledge even when it was something simple. Beast boy inwardly smiled at her expression.

"Oh." She stepped aside and observed his actions carefully.

Beast boy had been in the lead ever since they started which Raven had expected. They continued with their small talk and the group before them left. Beast boy had won with a score of 269 and Raven tragically lost with a score of 121. She sat down on the hard plastic chair to change back into her regular shoes.

"That wasn't so bad." He muttered and untied his own large shoes. "You got better too."

Raven turned stood up and collected both their shoes. "I'd hardly call that improvement."

"I still think it was a good game."

"Of course you would. You won."

Beast boy let her walk out the door first. "Don't be sour, Rae. You know you had a good time."

Raven held her sweater tightly in her hand and chose not to answer. In truth she had enjoyed herself, more than she thought she would. The gutter balls had been embarrassing but their conversation had been enjoyable. She had learned more about him and the Doom Patrol during his childhood; mostly of Rita and Mento. Beast in turn was hesitant about the things he had decided to ask her. Raven didn't answer all of his questions in elaborate details but just enough for him to grasp.

"What else you wanna do to kill time?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "You can choose."

"Okay then. Let's go shopping." Beast boy said.

"You can't be serious."

Beast boy raked a hand through his green hair. "I still don't know what to get for Bumblebee."

"So you still didn't do your Christmas shopping?" Raven walked alongside him once more as they navigated throughout the ship.

"It's barely even December." He turned his head to look at her but she was staring at her shoes. "I already know you, Cyborg, and Starfire already finished."

"And that's wrong?"

Beast boy ushered her into a store. "Quit twisting my words around." He tapped her nose with the pad of his index finger. In return she gave him an annoyed look.

"What did you have in mind?" They both browsed a shelf full of purses and logo merchandise. It was clear that they would have to visit several more stores.

He picked up a scented candle to examine it closer. "That's the thing. I don't know. Robin already got her a sketch book for her clothing designs."

She nodded to confirm his statement. "What about drawing pencils?"

"Starfire bought that for her _and_ Jinx."

"What did Cyborg get?"

After strolling around the store with Raven following they both decided to leave. "He bought her a new MP3 player, this gigantic stuffed animal, some gift cards and stuff." Beast boy listed off on his fingers. "What did _you_ get her."

He smiled as Raven gave him an amused look. "Body wash and lotions from that new store in the mall. Let's look in there." She pointed to another store that had more girl oriented products than the previous one. The pink letters stated the name of the store: _Envious_.

"What for? I'm sure Cy got her some jewelry too."

Raven weaved her way out of the crowd and headed for the door anyway. "So? I'm sure she would appreciate it all the same."

Beast boy was overwhelmed with the amount of necklaces and bracelets that filled half the wall. An older plump woman was preparing a child's ear to be pierced for the first time. Earrings were on white displays that swiveled in a circle along with sunglasses, hair accessories and eye masks. He was already surprised that Raven had willingly walked into such a store without Starfire's pestering.

"Do girls really need all this stuff?" Beast boy frowned at the array of umbrellas, backpacks, flip flops, and decorated headbands.

Raven nodded her head and moved to look at the earrings. "Starfire seems to think so. Now come on and help me look."

"Right. Cause Starfire and Bumblebee are exactly the same." He was surprised at his own sarcasm that leaked out his teeth.

"What about this?" Raven held up a pair of Hello Kitty earrings.

Beast boy shook his head 'no' almost immediately. "Too childish."

After fifteen minutes of browsing the earrings and the rest of the store Beast boy had finally found two small gifts. Now all he had to shop for was Raven and Robin which he would do sometime later. He just wanted to bask in her presence like she was allowing him to do now. It felt so right…so comforting.

"I think it's a good gift." Raven said as they headed towards an elevator to take them to their cabins.

Beast boy held the small white plastic bag in his hand. "Yeah. I remember Mas breaking one of her earrings on accident."

"The locket was a nice touch too."

Three cruise ship elevators sat in a row and a handful of people waited in front of the doors. Raven stared at their reflection in the chrome doors and the down arrow lit up blue. Beast boy seemed generally content and Raven would frequently catch him peeking at her in the reflection. Her stomach fluttered with butterflies when they did lock eyes for a split second. And she didn't doubt that Beast boy could hear her quickened heartbeat.

"You alright, Raven?"

She nodded her head and shifted her eyes to the carpeted floor. "Yeah."

The elevator door slid open and six people exited before they were able to enter. A family of five stepped inside with them. Two young boys and a girl eagerly rushed in after them followed by their parents. And one dark skinned man wore shorts and held a pamphlet in his hands. The ride was noisy which was far better than awkward silence. Mirrors had been placed in the corners of the elevator and the walls were tan. Small bright lights shined down on them from above and they twinkled.

"You aren't going to leave me right, Mom?" The youngest blonde haired boy asked. His head craned back to stare at the ceiling.

The tall woman only laughed, "We wouldn't leave you."

"Cause you love me, huh?"

His mother rested a hand on his shoulder. "Yes we love you very much and wouldn't forget you."

"Did you have fun?" Their father asked.

Raven stared at her feet. Although they were in a very public place she felt as if she were imposing. Beast boy on the other hand wasn't bothered in the least. He had pulled out his phone to check the time before placing it back in his jeans pocket.

"Yeah we got to dance and make cupcakes." The oldest—a girl—replied. She had to be no more than nine or ten.

"Deck 9." The elevator chimed in an automated voice. The number 9 lit up blue above the buttons.

The family of five shuffled out the door and no one else entered the elevator. Now there were only three of them in the elevator. Her, Beast boy, and the tall dark skinned man. The man pushed another button on the elevator to deck 7. They were to get off on deck 6. Her own nerves mixed with his and she felt sick to the stomach. They only had four more decks until they reached their destination.

"Deck 7." With a soft jolt the elevator stopped and the chrome doors slid open.

Beast boy addressed her then. "You know what?"

Raven shook her head, then spoke out loud when she noticed his eyes were closed. "No."

He smiled but left his eyes closed. "You should leave your hood down more often." He paused when he sensed her confusion. "You're too pretty and I don't think you should keep that to yourself."

She didn't reply at first which caused his smile to diminish. "I have to go."

Raven turned away from him and the elevator doors began to slide closed. She acted on instinct and repeatedly jammed her finger down on the circular button. She was lucky enough that the doors slid back to allow her out. But it had already been too late; he had seen the bright blush that had covered her cheeks in the mirror before she ran off.

"Raven," Beast boy staggered forward but the doors were closing once more. "Rae." With his sharp ears, he was sure he could hear surprised people and items breaking underneath her powers.

He squeezed his eye closed and bit his tongue. "I'm such an idiot and can't keep my big mouth closed." He sighed and let his head lean against the back wall of the elevator. "I sounded like a stupid fourteen-year-old."

Raven slowed to a quick walk once she realized she wasn't being pursued. She felt flushed and slightly out of breath which wasn't from running. But from his genuine compliment. It had been something she was pleased with and dreaded to hear at the same time. Raven wandered the seventh deck and continued to move quickly. It was still possible Beast boy would confront her and with his animal senses finding her would be easy.

"He didn't mean that." Raven spat and clenched her hands into fists. "But then why did he say it?" The words and the scene continued to replay in her mind in a loop. Raven whispered her mantra under her breath and slowly regained control of herself.

She released a shaky breath and her emoticlones continued to run wild. She walked into a gym without knowing how she got there in the first place. She was far from wearing proper gym attire but that didn't stop her from heading to the treadmill. She set up the machine and four other people ran beside her. The treadmills overlooked the dark blue ocean waves and music sounded from the speakers. She closed her eyes to avoid looking at the vast ocean and jogged at an easy pace.

"He wouldn't like me." Raven chanted to herself hoping that she would finally believe it was a misunderstanding. "I'm too…creepy." A dull ache grasped at her heart at the vivid memory from years ago. "He's being an idiot to mess with my powers."

With time, each little phrase made it easier to believe and she ignored the emoticlones talking over one another. Her breathing soon became short and quick from nearly running ten minutes straight. She needed to focus her mind on anything but _him_ or involving him. She knew she was receiving curios glances about her attire and the state she was currently in but she ignored that too. Her phone began to vibrate against her upper thigh from the inside of her pocket.

It had buzzed a good seven times before a tinkling sound meant she had been a voicemail. Raven wasn't in a hurry to see who it was; they were on vacation after all. Her mouth hung opened and she gasped for more air to enter her lungs. More buzzing continued: signaling missed calls, voicemails, and text messages. It came to the point that Raven turned her phone off all together. After she wore herself out enough; she quit. Breathing heavily and covered in sweat Raven could only hope she wouldn't run into any of her teammates. It was after a much needed shower and change of clothes when she wandered the 11th floor of the ship. Four people fencing in pairs caught her eye as an instructor guided them.

Raven entered the large ball room with tables and chairs neatly moved to the side on carpet. In the front of the room tan curtains closed around a stage with lights glowing on the bottom. Shoe squeaked and footsteps thudded on the laminate brown floor. Ever so quietly, Raven crossed the room to observe the session in a plush chair. She pulled out her phone from her pocket and turned it back on and was immediately spammed with messages.

Holding the phone up to her ear, Raven played the first voicemail from Bumblebee. "Pick up the phone, Rae. You and BB disappeared and we wanted to meet back up. Everythin' okay?"

"End of first voicemail." Raven pushed the number seven to delete it and continue on to the next. It was just nearing 5:40pm, she had been ignoring her friends for the past couple of hours. A small wave a guilt passed over her but she brushed it off.

"Raven? Why are you not doing the picking up of the phone?" Starfire's voice rang loud and clear from the device. "I am the worried for you and Beast boy as you have left early and hope you are the okay. Robin has wanted to the 'zip lining' as a team activity. Please do call back shortly."

"End of voicemail. Press 7 to delete. Press 2 to save…" Raven deleted the second voicemail and moved on to the text messages. The first three being from Bumblebee.

 _ **2:30pm**_ _Answer ur phone._

 _ **2:34pm**_ _Where r u 2?_

 _ **3:01pm**_ _If anythin is wrong u can tell me raven._

The next message was from Cyborg and he was to the point of what he wanted to know.

 _ **4:16pm**_ _Hey do u kno what happened 2 u & B? He won't pick up my calls. U 2 fightin again?_

Raven closed the message and read the one from Robin. The only messages she didn't receive was from Beast boy and Starfire. She wasn't used to texting and preferred to call everyone instead. Robin was the same way; it was quicker to get a hold of someone than idly waiting around for answer. But sometimes he did text.

 _ **4:57pm**_ _We're meeting up for dinner at Cirque Dreams. 3_ _rd_ _floor if you do decide to join us. Hope everything is alright. We'll be there around 6:00pm._

Raven went back and reread the messages that were sent to her. All of them were genuinely worried about her in their own unique way. She hadn't even thought of dinner and she wasn't hungry in the first place. Still, Raven debated on showing up or hiding out in her cabin for the rest of the night. She tucked her phone back into her pocket and turned her attention to the people fencing.

The instructor continuously gave instructions with his smooth voice. Shoes thumped on the floor as the group of four followed through with the movements. As time passed the two women and the skinny man improved and got the hang of it. But the shorter man had more trouble with his stance.

"Would you be interested in fencing?" Raven looked up into the eyes of the young instructor. "Perhaps get your friends to join?"

Raven stared passed him and to the couples that were facing each other. All four of them absorbed in their friendly activity. "Perhaps some other time."

The instructor nodded before he turned to another man across the room. More likely to ask a similar question. As the time drew nearer to 6:00pm, Raven slowly made her way out of the ballroom. She was in no hurry as she reread Robin's directions from the text message she received about an hour ago. Just as she neared the entrance she spotted Cyborg's large metallic figure.

"Didn't think you'd come." Cyborg turned as Raven approached him from behind.

She merely nodded and glanced around her surroundings. "Where's everyone else?"

"Robin reserved a table." He said. "C'mon."

Raven followed after him, seeing that he was the only titan around. The large room was bright and in the center was a circular platform for the performers. People continued to walk in while others were already seated. She followed Cyborg until they reached a table that seated nine. Beast boy was already there; his green cheek resting in the palm of his hand. She had caught his eye before they both quickly turned their heads away. Black triangular folded napkins sat on top of the closed menus beside empty white plates. Raven pulled her chair back and sat on the right of Bumblebee.

"It was like you fell of the face of the Earth." Bumblebee turned her attention to the empath.

Raven kept her head down and avoided the gazes of her teammates. "Just because I wanted to be alone?"

"I am glad to see that you are well." Starfire's bright green eyes roamed over Raven's face.

Bumblebee pulled out her phone to catch the time. "We can talk about it later."

Raven didn't reply. The table began to tremble and the glasses shuddered before she was able to catch her mistake. Raven stared at her hands that rested in her lap to ignore the reoccurring emotions from earlier. The burst of happiness that only one other being had caused her to feel. _It was only a compliment_. _Just pretty words strung together._ Raven continued her new mantra and cringed when a thin crack appeared in her ceramic dinner plate.

Cyborg rested an arm around the back of Bumblebee's chair. "Let's just sit back and have a good time."

"Right." Robin nodded his head in agreement and opened the menu.

The lights had dimmed until the room was dark and only glowed with bright neon props and spotlights that shown from up above. The action had caught Raven's attention for a mere moment before she returned to her plate. Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast boy had finished their meals quite quickly. Raven had left her food untouched and had only taken one sip from her glass of water.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," A spotlight shone on an exotic dressed man. His red, black and white clothes were similar to a circus but not quite belonging. "Welcome to Cirque Dreams, home of the most talented performers.

The exotic redhead continued to address the audience, "We are the first American company," His voice was soothing as he spoke into the microphone. "That combines the European Cirque style with American circus arts and Broadway theatrics. We hope that you will enjoy tonight's performance; it's quite a show."

Raven looked up to see that the man was done with his short welcome and had stepped out of the spotlight. The audience clapped and voices buzzed as music played and the first act was about to begin. Two women dressed in fancy striped tops and shorts to match spun from a hoop on a single thread. Their limbs gracefully moved as they danced and people clapped by the end of their performance.

The odd costumes were mind boggling as more people danced about. Raven on the other hand hadn't witness most of the show. Her head was down as she picked at her dinner roll rather than eating it. Occasionally, she would look up during the performance when people gasped or clapped. And nearly three times she locked eyes with Beast boy. And each time, her stomach twisted into nervous knots which made her mind go blank.

It was roughly an hour and a half later when the performance did end. The bright lights contrasted with the once before dark room and it stung her eyes. Bumblebee and the others soon stood up to follow the crowd out of the room. Raven followed suit and only half listened to the conversation.

"…ot tub or the dodging of the ball." Starfire said.

Cyborg stretched and let out a yawn, "Yeah but we promised Rob we'd watch fireworks."

"There's even a concert later tonight." Bumblebee said and walked out of the door after Raven. "Anyone up to go?"

Beast boy's pointed ears twitched, "Dudes, we have to play dodge ball."

"I don't see why we can't do all of it." Robin tucked his hands into his sweater pockets. "It's only 8:30pm, we have all night."

Cyborg hummed in agreement. "There's even going to premiere of a movie on the sky deck afterwards."

A firm hand caught Raven on her left shoulder, "What's wrong? You've been avoidin' us all day. And you've been quieter than usual which is sayin' a lot."

Bumblebee removed her hand and Raven struggled with her words. "I…I'm just not feeling well."

She pressed a hand to Raven's forehead, "You do feel warm and you haven't eaten anything." They both blindly followed after their friends several paces behind.

It was in Bumblebee's nature to act as mama bear to the titans. After all, she did fit into the role by taking care of her own teammates back at titan's east. "I'll sleep it off."

"Make sure you put somethin' on your stomach first." She continued, "You might be coming down with the bug."

Raven nodded her head, "I'll see you guys later."

"What? You leavin' already?" Cyborg turned his head to make sure he was correct.

Beast boy's ears stood up as he was alerted, "The fun's just getting started." He didn't turn around to face her but he expressed disappointment.

Robin was next to interrogate her, "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head; they were still very much concerned for her. "It's probably just a cold." It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the truth either. She had in fact been feeling nauseous and lightheaded but not to the extent of a cold. "It would be best if I rested."

"We wish you the good health." Starfire said, her eyebrows pulled together in worry. The other titan's waved and bid goodbyes and well wishes.

"Thank you." Raven then separated from her friends and began the long journey to her cabin.

The night was still young but sleeping would help the symptoms. Once inside Raven sat on the edge of her bed and slid off both of her shoes before stripping off the rest of her clothing. The soft cotton pajamas caressed her cool skin and she moved to peel back the covers and slipped in. The pulled blankets were then pulled up over her shoulders and she rested her head on the soft pillow. All she needed was for sleep to whisk her away into dreamland.


	6. Nightscape

Nightscape

Two days had passed since Raven had her awkward encounter—on her part—with Beast boy. Since then she made a special effort to avoid the green male. It didn't take much to accomplish as she just hid away in her cabin. Her phone had been put on silent and she could only imagine the amount of unread text messages and voicemails.

Two loud taps sounded at Raven's cabin door. "It is I, Starfire and Bumblebee."

Raven placed a bookmark in the page before she left the book on the bed. Slowly, she made her way to the door and opened it just a crack. It was almost being back at the tower save for a much brighter room that she didn't necessarily like. And the hundreds of passengers and their children as well were the differences.

"Yes?" Raven watched the redhead clasp her hands together and Bumblebee stood with her hands on her hips.

"You've been cooped up in your room." Bumblebee stated the obvious. "We were wonderin' if you wanted to come the spa with us. You know, get out for a bit."

The tall woman seemed to be carefully wording what she desired. "It would be delightful if you were to accompany us." Starfire added.

Raven took a moment to consider the offer although she didn't need that long to make the decision. "Sure."

"Wondrous." In an instant the tamaranian excitedly pulled Raven out of her cabin. "We can do the talking of boys and do the facials Bumblebee has spoken so much of."

Bumblebee kept her pace with the both of them, "I promise you'll like it. Besides we need some girl time."

Raven kept quiet as Starfire pulled her along but she would admit that it wouldn't be bad. It wasn't often when she agreed to things like this and Christmas was approaching quickly. So many times Raven had declined Starfire's and Bumblebee's desired mall trips, sleep overs, girl's night out and hair braiding. It almost made her feel guilty, not quite but almost.

"This will be nice." Raven commented as she followed the two women.

Starfire nodded in agreement, "It will be relaxing."

"I told you so." Bumblebee wore a playful smirk on her lips.

The three of them stood in fluffy white robes and flip flops and were seated side by side in tiled chairs that had a dip in it. The three workers had all of them wrap their hair in a white towel before they applied a sea green paste to their faces. Their eyes and lips were the only things that remained untouched by the paste. Once finished, the spa workers placed thin sliced cucumbers on both of their eyes. _I thought they only did that on TV shows_ , Raven mused.

"Raven, I have noticed you have been avoiding Beast boy." Starfire brought up once the spa workers left.

Bumblebee hummed in agreement, "Yeah, what's going on with you two?"

The empath visibly cringed at the use of his name. _Is it really that obvious?_ Raven shied away from the subject and tried to dismiss it. Bumblebee removed the cucumber slice to peek at her friend.

"Just because I choose to be in my room," She began, "Doesn't mean I'm avoiding anyone in particular."

Bumblebee replaced the cucumber, "Right." She said with sarcasm.

"But it does when we are at the tower." Starfire frowned as she pointed this out. "Beast boy had been quite affected by your absence."

Raven had no idea why she was even encouraging the current conversation. It was a sensitive topic for her. "What does my absence have to do with him?"

"Are you being serious, Rae?" Bumblebee said.

Starfire sighed in frustration., "I believe the expression is that Beast boy has the hots for you."

Raven was instantly grateful for the green paste and her voice caught in her throat. Perhaps Starfire didn't know what she was talking about, she was still trying to grow accustom to Earth phrases. Raven didn't care for these types of discussions, especially girl talk that somehow always turned towards romance. It had been a couple of years now but Malchior was still the cause of her pain. She disliked the thought of becoming involved with some else with a passion.

"I think you're mistaken," She said after she had recovered.

Starfire shook her head 'no' despite no one seeing the action, "Yesterday, he invited me for the iced cream and he mentioned you." At this new piece of information, Raven raised an eyebrow but encouraged Starfire to continue. "He spoke of making something up to you."

"Why?"

Starfire only smiled, "I am not to…how do you say 'spill the beans'"

"He hasn't been himself lately." Bumblebee added, "Don't be so hard on the poor guy."

Raven bit her bottom lip, "Fine."

The rest of their time together went by too quickly and they continued to talk. To Raven's pleasure, their conversation strayed from the topic of Beast boy and she able to relax. During their massage they spoke more about Christmas, Robin, off shore activities and some quiz Starfire had discovered in her magazine.

"Let us play the golf that is miniature." Starfire said after their spa treatment.

Raven eyed her suspiciously, "Why not play with Cyborg or Robin?"

"Cause we need some girl time." Bumblebee said matter of fact. "The course is on the sky deck."

Raven folded her arms over her chest but made no further arguments. Instead she walked with Bumblebee and Starfire to the nearest elevator. Spending time with her two closest friends wouldn't be all that bad, in fact she was having a good time so far. She wasn't entirely in the position to complain as she had been cooped up in her cabin. And with no particular plans and it wasn't as if she were really doing anything.

"Of course it is." Raven mumbled under her breath.

Starfire raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry but I believe I could not understand you."

"Raven's just being sour like usual." Bumblebee pressed a numbered button. "You need some fresh air and to get off this ship for a while."

Starfire placed her hands on her hips and pondered her friend's words. "We could participate in snorkeling, or the racing of crabs. Perhaps we could watch the fire dancing or maybe the kayaking."

Both women turned to look at Starfire with questionable expressions. Starfire twisted the charm bracelet on her wrist and gave a nervous laugh. The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open to reveal a small crowd of people waiting to get on.

"How do you even know about that?" Raven asked while Bumblebee led the way to the course.

"Cyborg has expressed his interest in the performance of fire dancing."

"Sounds like him alright." Bumblebee mumbled. "Well, here we are."

Sure enough they were at a 9-hole mini golf course that were filled with silly obstacles. Consisting of a colorful beach ball, a castle, and a pair of sun glasses. The sunlight reflected of aqua blue water and the sand. The shoreline was filled with people and the rest of the island was lush with the color green. Bumblebee handed her an orange golf club and a purple ball.

"You can hit first." Bumblebee handed Starfire a green golf ball. "Are we keeping score or what?"

Starfire nodded, "Of course."

At the same time Raven replied: "No."

The African woman only rolled her eyes. "What afraid to loose, Raven?"

"Fine, keep score." A frown twitched on her lips but she stood her ground.

Starfire placed her golf ball on the edge of the red carpet like material. She swung the club to and fro before it connected with the round object. The ball bounced off the blue brick boarder before it bumped into a raised obstacle and slowed to a stop.

"After you." Raven gestured with her hand. She nervously looked around her surroundings and only slightly relaxed when she saw no one green.

Starfire moved so she was out of the way, "What is truly wrong, Raven?"

"The fact that we're playing this game." She said without any traces of malice. She moved to take her turn next.

"For real girl," Bumblebee rested a hand on her hip. "You've been avoiding everyone."

Raven only shrugged her shoulders, "I've been lost in my thoughts lately."

"That is a lie." Starfire said without skipping a beat, carefully she hit the ball into the hole.

Raven shook her head; surprised that she had been caught so quickly. "N-

"You do the wrinkling of your nose." Starfire tapped her own nose for emphasis.

Bumblebee studied Raven carefully. "You aren't a good liar as it is, Rae."

"Has Beast boy upset you?" Starfire pressed.

"It's just one of those days." Raven looked up into Bumblebee's worried eyes. "And don't tell me that you've never had a bad day."

The African woman narrowed her eyes, "Okay so you're not going to tell us. We'll drop it right, Starfire."

Both pairs of eyes settled on the tamaranian before Starfire agreed. "Later we could do the participation in the relaxing exercise of yoga."

"Unless you wanted to be alone and meditate." Bumblebee said.

Now she really knew that her friends were struggling to cheer her up. She was the only titan that would do yoga except for Melvin who wanted time alone with her. Bumblebee would complain about the complexity of the poses while Starfire usually avoided it at all costs.

"Okay." Raven nodded and motioned for Bumblebee to take her turn.

The three women walked to the second hole and Raven could feel their eyes burning into her back. It was barely a thing to react about but here she was avoiding conversations and the green shapeshifter. Raven struggled to keep up her façade that nothing was wrong but she felt an all too familiar ache in her chest. A pain that she only believed existed in cheesy romance novels and too young teenage girls.

"Hole in one. Way to go Starfire." Bumblebee praised her at their fourth hole.

After their day out, Raven found herself hidden in her room once more. She had to admit that it was nice spending time with both of them although it wasn't a frequent occurrence. The things they had mentioned about Beast boy continued to run around in her head which made meditation impossible. It didn't help that her emoticlones were running rampant which meant her visit to Nevermore was past overdue.

A soft knock interrupted her scrambled thoughts, "Um, Raven?" The deep voice belonged to Beast boy.

Raven replaced her meditation mirror back into her suitcase and crossed the room. She opened the door so only her face was visible as she didn't have her cloak. The green male faced her and she could feel his nerves acting up again. Her stomach twisted into nervous knots and her hands slightly trembled.

"Yes?" She said in monotone, her purple eyes looked the tall man over.

Beast boy was shaking slightly and it almost went unnoticed. His green hair was spiked in front as he borrowed some of Robin's hair gel. He smiled brightly at her with his bottom fang jutting out. Raven only stared at him expectantly with one gray hand resting on the door. And he squirmed a little underneath her penetrating gaze.

She cocked an eyebrow at him, "Did you want something?"

Beast boy nervously raked a hand through his forest green hair, "Yeah, um…would you like to hang out again?" He closed his eyes and waited for her to lash out at him for his suggestion.

Raven fought off the butterflies that fluttered around in her stomach. Then she remembered Bumblebee's request from earlier. "Why not? I can't meditate anyways."

"Sweet, really?" Beast boy's excitement broke through as he quickly ushered the girl away from the door. "Great cause I'm really sorry about last time…"

Beast boy continued his apology while Raven concentrated on not blowing things up. His firm grip on her hand made that a challenge, and her emoticlones erupted in her head once more. Raven's heartbeat thudded in her ear drums but she couldn't tell if it was running or from skin contact. _I need to speak to knowledge, something isn't right._


	7. Breathless

Breathless

"I've changed my mind." Raven said, unintentionally revealing her unease to Beast boy.

The green man just smirked, "So you're giving up before you even tried?" Beast boy finished tying the laces to his black roller blades. "Here, I'll lace them for you."

Raven moved her feet out of his reach, "I'll manage without your help." She was sitting on a red velvet bench and adjusted herself to tie her roller skates.

Beast boy had dragged her to a roller skating rink to hang out. He had insisted after finding out this was yet another thing Raven was incapable of. On Azarath, there were no large bodies of water and swimming had always been out of the question. Nor did Azarath contain anything remotely similar to roller skating. They were all new and foreign to Raven when she arrived on Earth. She never attempted these activities; she never had a reason to.

"Ready?" Beast boy held his hand out to her. Perhaps Cyborg's idea would prove to be successful.

Without thinking, Raven placed her gray hand in his green one. Beast boy easily pulled Raven to her feet. She quickly withdrew her hand as realization dawned on her at their contact. It only caused her feet to wobble; throwing her off balance.

"Ah!" Raven yelped before her bottom met the smooth hard floor. The two of them weren't even on the rink and she had already managed to fall.

Beast boy had refrained from laughing, he didn't even crack a smile. "You alright?"

He offered to help her up but Raven settled for using the red and gray bench. Soon the two of them were on the rectangular floor. Raven held tightly onto the wall and slowly inched her way forward.

"It's not so bad, is it?" Beast boy was skating backwards beside her. It was difficult to really hold a conversation with her when she became so distant.

Raven's lavender eyes hardened, "Quit showing off." Beast boy complied, turning around in the proper direction. "And this is your idea of fun?"

He eagerly nodded, "There's a first time for everything."

Raven didn't know why she even considered his mere suggestion of skating. Multiple times she met the floor after losing her balance and she was sure bruises would be there to prove it. The two of them were moving at the pace of a turtle but Beast boy didn't seem to mind. As they talked, she could feel his anxiety even though it was absent in his voice.

"See, you're getting the hang of it." Beast boy commented after she stopped falling for a full three minutes.

Raven cocked an eyebrow at him, "Sure I am." She replied. "Can't we do something else?"

Beast boy pouted, "We only just got here, Rae."

"Forty minutes ago." Raven hung onto the wall and skated towards the exit.

Beast boy nodded in agreement, "I've got something better we can do." He quickly amended, seeing that she didn't correct her nickname he and given her.

As soon as Raven was off the rink, she kicked off her skates without bothering to sit down. They had returned their rental skates and Beast boy was urging her to walk faster. As he tugged on her arm, she concentrated on her emotions. It felt as if she was always concentrating lately to keep herself in check and the task was becoming more challenging. If she didn't watch herself, she could accidently sink the ship in the middle of the ocean.

"You can let go now." Raven reminded him, as they stood in front of their new destinations.

Beast boy dropped her hand quickly. "Oops, sorry 'bout that."

The two of them stood in front of a clear cylinder with a person on the inside floating midair. A blue helmet was snug on their heads along with nylon jumpsuits and plastic googles. They were sky diving with a large fan underneath them and a small audience had gathered with a small line of people.

"Dude, Raven this is sweet!" Beast boy exclaimed, temporally forgetting why he was nervous as he prodded Raven forward to stand in line.

Raven lazily folded her arms across her chest, "Beast boy, I don't _do_ things like this."

"But you've gone roller skating and you kind of went swimming." He kindly pointed out, "Besides, you have to."

The empath refused once more, "I'll just watch." It became obvious that Beast boy wasn't going to let her slip out of this.

 _What's happening to me?_ Raven scolded herself as she gave into his pleading again. It wasn't long before Raven was standing beside Beast boy with a blue helmet strapped onto her head. She thought the plastic goggles and nylon windbreaker jumpsuit looked ridiculous on both of them.

Raven internally frowned, "I can't believe I'm doing this."

It was a matter of time before it was there turn. Beast boy eagerly listened to the instructor's directions before they were allowed in. Raven was surrounded by her own questioning thoughts before she realized they were behind the thick glass.

"Relax," Beast boy said, "It'll be better than when we played on the water slides." He promised.

"Oh, joy."

It wasn't long before they were getting part of the sky diving experience. Beast boy had a goofy grin on his face, his body outstretched in a superman pose. Raven wasn't too thrilled with the strong fan below that tangled her hair that was free from the helmet. Subconsciously, Raven clutched onto Beast boy's jumpsuit as if she were in danger. And it only caused Beast boy's stupid grin to grow even bigger.

"That looked quite wondrous, Beast boy." Starfire cheered as Raven and Beast boy unsnapped their helmets.

Raven combed her fingers through her hair in an attempt to look decent. "Try it with Robin." She then tried to ignore Bumblebee's glances between her and Beast boy.

Robin and Cyborg had stepped out of a nearby store, their eyes searching for Starfire and Bumblebee. It was easy to find them standing in front of the green man. The two men exchanged a couple of looks and smiles with Beast boy.

"Y'all up for hanging out?" Cyborg turned away from the sky diving.

The four titans nodded their heads, Raven soon agreed after a moment of thinking things over. Every other night the team would do something together while they were on their trip. The last few times, Raven had opted to skip out and wandered the cruise ship on her own. Robin lead them a few decks down on the crowded cruise ship.

The six of them soon stood behind a short glass wall. In the center a large and glossy oval floor were bumper cars of all colors. The indoor place had its lights dimmed except for colorful disco lights that traveled on the floor. And music played over the noise of the cars and there was surprisingly a short line.

"Robin, I do not understand the concept of bumping cars." Starfire had both her hands resting on the glass wall.

The boy wonder frowned a little, how was he supposed to explain this properly? "Well, you see, Star…all you do is drive and try to crash into another person." It was a bad explanation that caused Raven to roll her eyes and Bumblebee to smile.

The tamaranian's eyebrows pulled together, "That is truly awful."

Robin sighed, "Just sit with me and you'll understand." Was the best he was able to come up with.

It was no secret to the other titans that Starfire very well knew what bumper cars were. It had been when Robin left a few years ago to Gotham for three days when Starfire had expressed her desires to go to a theme park. Cyborg and Beast boy were quick to comply with Starfire's suggestion back then. But for some reason Starfire found it quite cute when Robin struggled to explain the things they did on Earth.

"You're going down, BB." Cyborg grinned, his competitive side showing.

Beast boy stepped forward as the line began to move, "You wish."

Robin smirked and tugged Starfire with him, "All that matters is who wins."

"All of you are idiots." Raven's deadpanned voice interrupted; the venom in her voice absent. "You can't win at this. Besides I don't _do_ bumper cars."

Beast boy groaned and turned back to face her, "You don't _do_ anything. Besides we've already done some stuff you'd never do."

"Exactly my point." Raven didn't have a chance to further explain herself as Bumblebee gently pulled her forward.

Beast boy took hold of her wrist for the umpteenth time and raced toward a red bumper car. He sat behind the wheel and Raven sat beside him after a moment's hesitation. They both slipped on the black seatbelt and waited for the other people to be seated.

Raven held onto the sides of the seat, "I'd appreciate it if you'd stop dragging me everywhere like a rag doll."

Beast boy's ears lowered, "Sorry, Rae."

"Ra _ven_." The girl corrected him, "Really Beast boy, it's only two syllables."

He exhaled hot air, "Sorry, _Raven_."

Their red bumper car didn't even have a chance to move before they were rammed from the back hard. It jolted the both of them and they knocked into each other as they were sitting uncomfortably close. In all honesty, Raven actually liked sitting next to him even if it was for a short amount of time. They were sitting so close that she could smell the cologne invaded her senses.

"Take that, Robin." Beast boy chuckled after ramming into the couple.

Raven fought a smile that threatened to break out across her face. "Hurry." She urged the man beside her.

Beast boy maneuvered the small car but Robin and Starfire rammed into them from behind. Starfire had taken over the wheel and Robin told her where to go. Several other people bumped into their car which jolted Beast boy and Raven around more. Bumblebee had been hit from both sides, wedged between Cyborg's car and Beast boy's car.

"Raven." Starfire began as they stood in line once more, "Are you enjoying the together time?" She had meant as a whole to as Raven had skipped out all of the previous ties.

The three boys had turned towards her, "It's not bad." Raven shifted her weight from each foot, "Yes, Starfire. I'm enjoying myself." She added, earning a bone crushing hug.

"That's great." Robin moved forward. "But we're up again."

The last four times, Starfire had claimed her own bumper car. Raven had continually sat next to Beast boy and let him do all the driving. Every so often, he would smile at her and she would automatically return it with a tiny smile of her own. It wasn't a while until the five titans tired of the bumper cars and searched for a new source of entertainment.

 _Am I sick?_ Raven questioned herself. _I hope I'm not coming down with something as warm as it is_. She had noticed her strange behavior but she couldn't stop her actions if she tried. Raven _needed_ to have a conversation with all of her feelings to sort them out. Something was definitely out of place and for quite a while now too.

"How about we try rock climbing?" Robin gestured towards his left.

Bumblebee shook her head, "No way, bird boy."

Cyborg rose his metal hands, "Man come on," He whined, "We all know what you're trying to pull."

The other three titans agreed with Cyborg, "I also agree, it is too similar to our training." Starfire explained. "We are here to do the relaxing, correct?"

Robin frowned, his team had blown things out of proportion. Sure in a way it would have been great exercise and could have substituted as training. Perhaps he could convince Starfire tomorrow and if not, he'd go on his own.

"Look at this." Beast boy pulled out a folded paper from his back pocket. All of the passengers received similar papers on the daily basis for new activities on the daily basis. "One of these dance thingies, it's at 11:00pm tonight and ends at 2am."

Bumblebee looked over Beast boy's shoulder as she floated a few inches off the ground. "It's formal attire."

Cyborg glanced at Starfire's digital wrist watch, "We've got plenty of time to kill until then."

Starfire squealed in delight, realizing that they would be attending such an event, "Oh how wonderful. This is similar to the prom, Robin?"

Her boyfriend's face noticeably reddened, "I suppose you could say so."

Robin didn't quite know if Starfire's version of prom had changed in the last couple of years. Hopefully, she didn't believe it was still a duel she had once believed when Kitten demanded Robin to be her date.

Raven remained silent, hoping they would change the topic. "Want to shoot some hoops?" Robin suggested.

Cyborg, Beast boy, Starfire, and Bumblebee agreed which left Raven to trail behind the group of give. There was quite a few things Raven wasn't fond of but she wouldn't play basketball no matter what Beast boy would say. The basketball court was on the sky deck and the orange sun was slowly lowering in the horizon.

It was located on the far end of the ship and blue bleachers over looked the court. A tall chain link fence surrounded the court to stop any basketballs or soccer balls from running into other activities. Three steps down from the bleachers was the court with blue pavement with white and yellow lines marking on top of it. At one end of the court, a group of about four were already playing a game. A handful of people sat in the bleachers to watch and Raven was part of that handful.

Bumblebee handed Raven her black sweater, "If you need anything just holler." She hurried down the steps to meet the rest of the team on the court.

"Uh, are you sure you just want to watch?" Beast boy questioned her as she already sat on the second row of bleachers.

Raven nodded, wishing she at least had a book with her. "I'm positive, Garfield."

Her purple eyes then avoided him and he stood in front of her. She had spoken his real name without a hint of sarcasm or teasing. _I_ _ **never**_ _call him that, it's always Beast boy._ Her tongue had slipped up, in the future she needed to be more careful.

Cyborg held a brown basketball in his hands, "C'mon B, leave her alone." He bounced the ball and turned away from his green friend.

"We can play two on three. Me, Bumblebee and Beast boy against you and Starfire." Robin called out.

Beast boy reluctantly turned around but not before telling her: "You're welcome to join in later if you want." He jogged to the half court they were sharing to stop his friends from waiting.

Starfire was eager to play basketball; she was pretty good in the sport in addition to football and volleyball. For just a game, the five titans played hard and even though the sun was setting it was still humid. Starfire had to tie up her long hair in a black hair tie while the other four paused the game for water.

"I believe we are doing the winning." Starfire gloated, slapping her hand against Cyborg's in a victorious high-five.

Cyborg grinned, "Booyah baby." He bounced the ball a couple of times before their game was resumed. "It's 29-8."

Starfire wiped the sweat off her brow, "You have the eight."

Bumblebee huffed and fanned herself with her shirt, "Should've forfeit a while ago." She muttered under her breath.

Robin and Beast boy hung their heads in shame at their score. Cyborg and Starfire made one heck of a team together. It didn't help that Beast boy was extremely distracted by the purple haired woman in the bleachers. Because of his constant habit of looking at the bleachers, his team was losing their dignity to the basketball score.

Raven had debated a few times on leaving to explore the sky deck. She eventually decided against it as she didn't want to interrupt their serious game. Raven found it even harder to pull her eyes away from the court now that Beast boy and Robin had discarded their T-shirts. Their bodies shined with sweat and exhaustion but they were well toned due to consistent training, missions and actual fighting villains from over the years.

"Take the three pointer." Cyborg passed the ball to Starfire only to have it intercepted by Robin.

Robin dribbled the ball low and hunched over to block his girlfriend. "Beast boy." He then passed the ball to his open teammate.

"Uh what?" Beast boy's eyes had wandered over to the bleachers once more.

But this time he had caught Raven staring at him first but she turned her head away. He could even see the blush that tainted her pale gray skin. Unfortunately, the brown ball collided with the side of Beast boy's face. He stumbled forward a little before regaining his balance.

"Dude ouch!" His glove covered hand massaged the injury. "You didn't have to hit me in the face."

Bumblebee hunched over, her hands on her knees. "Nice B, just nice."

Robin shook his head, "It wouldn't have happened if you were paying attention."

Beast boy pathetically frowned at his four friends, "How do you expect me to concentrate with _her_ around?" He had made sure that he lowered his voice so Raven wouldn't overhear him. "She's all I can think about and it's driving me crazy…and I really like it."

Starfire gave him a sympathetic look, "All will be well." She patted his sweaty shoulder to comfort him.

"She'll come around when she's ready to." Bumblebee fanned herself with her hand, "She's stubborn as a mule."

"Don't get yourself down about it, B." Cyborg said before he left to retrieve the basketball.

Robin ran a hand through his damp hair, "It is Raven after all. I wouldn't doubt that she can already sense your feelings."

Beast boy nodded, grateful his friends were supporting him, "Let's do something different. Ugh dude my face hurts." He complained.

"So you agree to forfeiting?" Starfire smiled before discarding the basketball in Cyborg's hands.

Beast boy picked up his shirt from the ground, "Sure whatever. Let's hit the arcade."

The team of three had faced the fact that they would never catch up to Cyborg and Starfire's score anyways. Raven's eyes flitted about the large room; she had never stepped foot in an arcade save for retrieving Beast boy during their grocery shopping. A red carpet lined the floor with red and yellow stars. Pinball machines, air hockey, Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, ski ball and a bunch of other games filled the arcade. Toy machines were brightly lit up to attract children and lovers to the plush prizes inside.

"…that's all you have to do." Raven just finished explaining the concept of air hockey to Starfire.

"You get it right?" Bumblebee asked and the Starfire nodded.

Raven inserted the coins into the game and took out the bright green puck. Immediately, Raven hit the puck with the white handle which sent the puck flying across the hockey table. The puck bounced off of Starfire's white handle before it slid across the surface of the table.

Cyborg and Bumblebee watched as the two young women played the game. "I call winner." He smirked as the score changed. One for Raven and one for Starfire.

Beast boy and Robin were engaged in a shooting game with black guns attached to a cord. Both of them spoke towards the screen as they would if they were back home. A child nearby cried because she couldn't win a toy out of the machine. The arcade was crowded from smaller kids to adults earning tickets and laughing. Games colorfully lit up and others spoke out loud and the sounds of the buttons being pressed could actually be heard.

Raven played against Cyborg, "You're cheating." She declared to her older brother figure.

Cyborg hit the puck along the table top, "What'd I do? I just hit it."

"Told ya that's not how you play it." Bumblebee mumbled before she left the two of them to their game.

Raven playful rolled her eyes, "You can't pass the center line." With that she sent the puck flying into the opposite goal.

Starfire encouraged her friend, "You are quite talented at this game."

"Thanks." Raven locked eyes with Starfire for a mere second.

It was too quickly before Raven won against Cyborg and had to refuse his requests for a rematch. Cyborg had temporarily left to find a sugary snack to eat. Starfire had convinced Beast boy in playing Dance Dance Revolution. Bumblebee had decided to play the next person who won. Robin and Raven had watched them dance for a while before the left to play a game of ski ball.

 _Arcades really aren't that bad._ Raven found herself thinking as she rolled the small brown ball. _What am I thinking? Next I'll be saying that comic books aren't as horrible as I say they are._ Raven closed her eyes and shook her head. _I_ _ **never**_ _play in arcades…I don't even play video games._

"Is everything…alright?" Robin turned toward her after her ball made into the 10.

 _They probably think I'm acting crazy._ "I'm fine…just feeling a little off is all."

"Are you coming down with something?" He turned backed to the game and picked up another ball.

Raven shook her head at his question, "I hope not."

As the titans passed the time, all six of them returned back to their respective cabins. The first thing on Raven's mind was a hot shower and a change of clothes. For the rest of the night, she would find something small to eat and finally visit Nevermore to sort things out.

Bumblebee obviously had other plans for Raven later that night and Starfire still considered that the whole team was still hanging out. And that all six of them would be attending the party Beast boy had pointed out earlier in the day. Unfortunately, Raven couldn't escape from attending the dance but she could stop Starfire from going over the top.

"…and you'll have a good time." Bumblebee said as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Raven crossed her arms over her chest. "No. I won't."

"You won't have a good time if you keep saying that." The African woman said.

"This is the most glorious." Starfire gasped as Raven tossed the glittering blue dress on the bed.

Raven sat on the bed beside Bumblebee, "It's whatever."

Bumblebee straightened out the dress, "Oh quit being sour."

"Hurry and put it on." Starfire thrust the fabric into Raven's arms and gently pulled her off the bed to stand.

Raven decided not to argue, it would be quite pointless and much easier. Soon Raven emerged from the bathroom clothed in the modest blue dress that came a few inches above her knee. Starfire had changed next and emerged wearing a sparkly pink dress that reached her knees. And Bumblebee was clothed in a black dress that hugged her body; her curly hair loose from its updo.

"Starfire, it doesn't even start until 11:00pm." Raven said and moved to sit back on the bed. "So why are we playing dress up?" Although her voice was monotone, there wasn't an ounce of harsh words.

Starfire and Bumblebee both grasped onto Raven's wrist and hauled her off the bed, "It will be by the time we get there." She pointed to the digital clock underneath the plasma screen TV.

Raven didn't have a chance to protest as the tall woman tugged her out of the door. And she couldn't help but frown at seeing the three men patiently waiting for them. Each of them were dressed up in formal attire for the event, even Cyborg had his ring to disguise the robot side of him. All three of them wore black slacks and shiny black shoes with different colored tops and ties to watch.

The group of six entered the already crowded room with blaring music that could be heard from just outside. The lights were dimmed down with the exception of colorful disco lights. Glow sticks had been handed out to the majority of other young adults wore them as bracelets and necklaces. Soft armchairs were scattered about the room off to the sides and people continued to arrive. Several snack tables stood on the far end of the room with all types of treats, sodas and water.

"Robin, let us participate in the slow dancing." Starfire dragged her boyfriend away before he had a chance to reply. The couple was now among other guest but the four remaining titans knew that their leader didn't mind one bit.

Raven shrugged it off, "Whatever."

She turned and disappeared into the crowd of moving bodies to make herself comfortable on an armchair.

Beast boy awkwardly shifted next to his friends; suddenly a third wheel. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Robin had really come up with the idea at breakfast for them to attend the party. Beast boy had been skeptical at first and Cyborg was quite doubtful. But it became clear that Robin had used the idea to help himself. No doubt Starfire and Bumblebee enjoyed outings such as these.

"Just don't push her." Bumblebee had her arms crossed over her chest. "No tellin' what'll happen if you do that."

"I mean _he_ was supposed to help _me_." He complained. "Robin already has Starfire and you already have Cyborg." He pouted as he had to shout of the music.

Cyborg frowned, "Uh, make the best of it?" He really didn't have answer. "She's been acting weird lately…look I won't get in your way tonight." He promised.

Beast boy's green eyes brightened, "Really? You're the best Cy."

"I'll make sure he'll keep away from both of you." Bumblebee slipped her hand into Cyborg's and headed off to dance with him.

The room was large with too many dancing bodies to even find Raven. But one thing was for sure, she wouldn't be dancing. It took him about an hour to work up his nerve and receive more encouragement from both Cyborg and Bumblebee. He had already eaten five chocolate covered marshmallows, three cups of soda, a handful of pizza rolls and a ton of mints before he could pull himself away from the snack table. It took him even longer before he spotted the bored half demon. She sat in a pale yellow armchair, her chin resting in the palm of her hand as she observed the dancing teens.

Beast boy took a deep breath, composed himself and then walked over. "H-hey, Raven."

He frowned inwardly as he stuttered thinking he already screwed up his chances. But it wasn't all bad as the upbeat song melted into another slow song.

Her purple eyes studied his face, "Hi." She then shifted her eyes back to the dancing crowd.

Beast boy had lowered his head to hear her better, "How about a dance…with me?"

Raven was already shaking her head no, "I don't dance."

"You don't do a lot of things like this b-"

She interrupted him, "I don't dance because I don't know how." She amended. _Why did I just tell him that? He doesn't need to know what I can and cannot do._

Beast boy held his hand out to her, "Then I'll teach you, it's not hard."

Raven waited a few moments before reluctantly placing her hand in his. Beast boy guided her to a spot on the floor that was somewhat secluded and away from the sweaty dancing people. He places his hands on her thin waist which forced her to rest her hands on his shoulders.

Beast boy pulled her a little a closer, "You don't even have to pick up your feet from the ground." She tried to avoid his eyes by past his tall shoulder; they were in an awkward position after all.

"See, you can dance." He said after a few moments of silence.

Raven's eyes finally met his even if it was only for a split second, "This doesn't really count. It's just swaying."

The changeling's eyes scanned her face, "Sure it does." He received no response from her, "Can I tell you something?" He knew it was too soon but she had to know while he had his confidence.

Raven could feel his nerves flowing into hers once more. "What?"

She heard his intake of breath but she continued to look away, "Okay, this is going to sound a little weird but it's true. But this has been bothering me for a couple of years but more so these past couple of months.

"Go on."

Beast boy hesitated, "Raven…I really like you…like a lot. More than just a teammate and a friend."

Raven felt her cheeks flame with heat, the moisture in her throat was gone and it felt like a million butterflies erupted in her stomach. She continued to avoid eye contact with him but she didn't pull away. _Did I hear him right? No, that's absolutely impossible. The music's so loud I can hardly hear him._

But the green man continued, "I like you Raven and I've liked you for a long time. I can't actually pinpoint when but I like everything about you. I can't really explain it but I'm so happy when I'm with you Rae and you're on my mind a lot of the time. The crazy thing is that I enjoy that feeling. The feeling of butterflies when I look at you or when my heart wants to jump out of my chest."

Raven's cheeks were tinged pink but she turned to look up at her tall teammate. Beast boy had closed his eyes then and he went against everything Cyborg, Robin and Bumblebee told him. But he felt it was right as he leaned down towards her. Both of them were fully unaware that the slow song was over.

Raven was still in a state of shock but her eyelids slowly closed as well. She found herself stretching on her tip toes for a kiss. Her mind had temporarily malfunctioned and Beast boy's soft lips pressed against hers.

She was oblivious to the amount of damage she was currently causing to the room. Several of the colorful lights from above shattered and small but noticeable cracks appeared in the floor. The armchairs were nearly shredded with cotton hanging out and the soda cans had burst open; leaving a sticky mess. Raven gently grasped his shoulders and pulled him closer. It took a moment for her brain to catch up before she realized what she was doing.

"No." She pushed him away with her powers, her black aurora engulfed him. Raven witnessed a flash of hurt in his features before it was masked over. "You can't…you're not allowed to." Her soft monotone voice was drowned out by the music.

Beast boy was unexpectedly flung to the hard ground. To say that Raven looked horrified was quite an understatement. Her heart hammered against her rib cage and thudded in her ears. Without a second though, Raven turned on her heels and disappeared into the crowed of confused and worried people.

"Raven," Beast boy hurriedly rose to his feet and followed after her, "Wait up…Raven!"

The crowd didn't make it easy as he was pushed this way and that. The room was so crowded that he didn't have a chance at finding her in there. But one thing was certain, the empath could always be found in a book store or her room. Beast boy pushed past the eager crowd of young adults with a new motivation to get to Raven.


	8. When Differences Collide

When Differences Collide

 **A/N: 8 chapters down and four more to go. This fanfic will be completed as promised. This one didn't turn out how I liked but I didn't want to rush into things.**

Raven navigated her way through the crowd of dancing bodies. The room was hot and almost suffocating, hands and elbows roughly jolted her. And on the occasion her feet were stepped on with heavy shoes. Red plastic cups, glow bracelets, and crumbs from snacks were sprinkled across the floor. Without looking behind her, she knew that Beast boy was trying to reach her. Raven could hear the faint shout of her name that blended in with the blaring music.

Only one thing was on her mind and that was to get to her cabin in the quickest way possible. Raven's powers were of no help as they were too unstable for her teleport away from the scene. The cool air brushed her skin as she made it out of the room. She, didn't hesitate to half walk and half jog to stay ahead of him.

"Rae, just wait up a sec." Beast boy called out. He only ran a short distance before deciding it was best to give her space.

Her worried expression stared back at her on the chrome door of the elevator. With one push of a button, the doors slid open with no one inside. Raven couldn't help but feel jumpy as she jammed her finger on the button to close the doors. Her mind was a mess as she thought of the possibility of Beast boy somehow reaching her cabin first. Her senses were heightened and as if she were in a daydream she was standing in her room without remembering how she got there.

"This has been long overdue." Raven locked the door and walked to her suitcase beside the small wooden table.

She unzipped the large portion of her luggage and carelessly moved her neatly folded clothes out of the way. Her hand wrapped around the dark gray handle and she quickly pulled it out and sat it on the bed. It was a no brainer that Beast boy would try to get into her cabin if he was determined enough. Raven went into the bathroom and returned with a gray towel to place underneath her door. At least it would stop Beast boy if he were to morph into an insect.

"And if this doesn't work I don't know what will." Raven once again took hold of her meditation mirror and locked herself in the bathroom for precaution.

She kneeled on the floor and peered into her mirror before she closed her eyes and chanted. It was only a matter of seconds when her environment changed until she was in the familiar place of Nevermore. Raven stood up, still clad in the blue dress that she had been forced to wear. She brushed the rubble off of her knees before standing up.

"Happy?" She was greeted with silence.

The pink cloaked emotion would have at least made herself known by now. It was a possibility that Happy could have been visiting another emoticlone. Raven folded her arms across her chest and walked through Happy's domain. The only sound were her shoes clicking on the floating rock beneath her. It was a good twenty minutes when she had reached Sloth's domain and even the brown cloaked emotion was absent.

"You've got to be kidding." Raven clenched her hands into fist before she pulled at her lavender hair in frustration.

The only other place that she could think of was a good ten-minute walk through Nevermore. It was highly unlikely that Knowledge and Affection were present in their respectful territories. Raven inhaled deeply before she released her breath and changed directions. At a brisk pace, Raven passed under an arch which had sharp protruding spikes. The scenery before her changed so it resembled a corridor made from rocks. And torches were consistently placed on the sides of the walls to brightly light the way.

"…she's going to be mad." A shaky voice bounced off the walls and reached Raven's ears.

"Don't be such a worry wart, Timid." The voice no doubt belonged to Brave.

Raven's footsteps echoed off the walls as she followed the curves in the corridor. She bypassed all the other doorways with a new determination. The chamber was large and in the center was a long stone table as if it were used for business conferences. Stone seats had been carved out and placed around the table and all of her emoticlones currently occupied the spaces.

"See, I told you so." Timid had pulled up the hood of her gray cloak and edged closer to Happy.

Raven stood there and took in the scene as she was still unnoticed by the majority of her emoticlones. Her hands rested on her hips and her mouth was set in a frown. Happy gave Raven a half smile which seemed off. Brave had both her feet resting on the table while and seemed to be listening to whatever Rude was saying. Sloth sat beside Timid with her chin resting on the cool stone. Knowledge, Affection and Rage were caught in heated three-way argument. Judging from their hand gestures and raised voices, it was only becoming worse.

Raven studied them for a moment longer. "What is the meaning of this?"

Her even tone had a dangerous edge to it. The commotion reduced to whispers before it gradually disappeared altogether. It was frustrating enough to hold their attention and to deal with them all at the same time. Raven turned her icy glare on to Knowledge and Affection before turning on the gray cloaked emotion.

"That was wonderful timing, Timid." Raven's sarcasm was almost venomous. "You honestly couldn't have backed out of any sooner?" She implied the incident with Beast boy that had happened not too long ago.

And the stupid butterflies continued to harass her with just the thought of the sweet kiss. Timid's cheeks were tinged pink and she looked somewhat distressed. Happy patted her shoulder in assurance while Raven took a moment to try and collect herself. She was seething. It hadn't been the first time she had been that angry. Normally, she would have been deep into her meditation by now.

"It wa-" Timid barely spoke above a whisper.

Raven promptly cut her off and turned her head away. "You know what? I don't want to hear your excuses."

"Don't talk with her that way." Brave removed her feet and fixed Raven with a cold stare of her own. "You know her self-esteem can't handle it."

Raven choose to ignore the green cloaked emotion, "And what gave you the right to take over me like that?"

Affection held her ground as much as she disliked arguments. "As if you didn't _want_ to kiss him. You and I both know the truth and that it was your free will."

"Did you not realize the severity of the situation?" Raven's voice strained as her calm demeanor was crashing down around her.

Happy had an expression of what could only be of bliss, "What's so wrong about a kiss?"

"I couldn't control my powers. I could've killed someone." Raven walked several paces closer to the conference like table. "Or worse, capsized the ship."

Sloth took her chance and spoke up, "But you didn't. Honestly, you worry too much, Raven."

"Quit overreacting." Rude said. "Everything isn't about you."

Timid nodded in agreement, "But you did hurt Beast boy. He's going to hate us."

The moment of her escape hit Raven like a semi-truck and she remembered flinging him to the ground in shock. Whether it had been intentional or not, she had almost seriously harmed her teammate. Knowledge stood her ground; purple eyes cutting and her arms firmly crossed. And here in Nevermore it was safe for Raven to lose control and at that very moment, her anger was getting the best of her.

"You need to meditate." Knowledge said. "Being angry won't help you or any of us."

Raven spat through gritted teeth: "This doesn't concern you."

Knowledge raised a thin eyebrow and addressed her challenge, "I'll have you know that it does."

"Shut up." Rage turned on them, four dark red eyes staring them down. "The kiss meant nothing. Beast boy means _nothing._ Get over it, simple as that."

"It better not have meant anything." Raven said.

Timid looked back and forth between the two, "But s-she's lying."

The room had turned dead silent as the emoticlones looked on. Happy was trying to console Timid and her small frame shook with hysterics. Rage grew even more agitated and Raven's head felt like someone was hitting her with a hammer. She wasn't getting anywhere, no matter how sharp her words were.

"Timid, stop crying and realize this isn't about you." Raven's posture was ridged and her face like stone, "I have nothing to discuss with you. And if needs be, cry somewhere else."

Brave's relaxed position turned aggressive as she protected Timid, "As if belittling yourself will help your problems."

"As I recall, Raven didn't ask you." Rage snarled.

"Let's just deal with it some other time." Sloth said, she genuinely seemed uninterested in the harsh quarrel.

"No, this is being settled here and now." Raven said.

Happy was next to speak up, "Can't you see what you're doing to her?"

Raven paid no mind to the gray cloaked emotion that Happy was referring to. It was an emotion. "Affection, if you would leave my personal matters alone it would be appreciated."

"You can't deny her presence, Raven." Knowledge pushed her glasses back up her nose. "The consequences won't be to your liking."

Raven uncoiled her hands but kept them at her sides, "Since when has requesting to not be bothered a problem?"

"You can't do that. Please don't hide me, Raven." Affection's purple eyes were soft but her voice was laced with so much emotion. "It's not right, I haven't done anything."

"She's a valid emotion. Acknowledge it, Raven." Brave said.

Rage was so close to storming out of the conference room, "She can do what she wishes."

"I believe Brave wasn't addressing you." Rude said adding to the argument.

The tension was high and Raven had barely gotten anything through to any of her emoticlones. Most of them sided against her which she hadn't been prepared for. Instead, she had expected a civil conversation with Knowledge and Affection minus the audience and unwanted opinions. There was no doubt that she would have to meditate soon.

"That doesn't mean I have to continue feeling it and believe me I don't want anything to do with it." Raven snapped. "Look, I'm done here. Affection you know where you stand and I prefer if you'd keep your emotion to yourself."

"There was no reason for you to speak in such a manner towards us, Raven." Knowledge narrowed her eyes behind her round frames. "You're in denial and persecuting yourself won't help."

"No, Raven don't shun me." Affection reached out for her.

Raven turned her back on her colorful emoticlones, her heart race had strikingly increased. "So ignorant."

She was positive the words had come from Knowledge but she ignored them anyways. She was walking back through the stone corridor and the conversations behind her rose quickly. It was a wasted trip and she would have to rely on herself to take precautions. But first meditation would be her first priority.

"You're being a coward." Brave shouted at her back and the sound reverberated off the walls.

The bright sun glared down on the couple, though it was late morning it was reasonably warm. Robin had slid on his dark shades to protect his eyes from the rays. And Starfire was nearly finished with applying sunblock to her orange tinted skin. Cyborg and Bumblebee had gone off to do their own thing while he and Starfire did theirs. Something that had bothered him was the absence of Raven since last previous and Robin's short encounter with Beast boy earlier that morning.

"Robin?" Starfire tucked away the white and orange bottle into her bag and squinted at him. "I am worried about the well-being of our friends."

Robin casually rested an arm around Starfire's waist as they walked along the shoreline. "I am too. But we shouldn't interfere, it could cause problems."

The sand was white and they moved so the clear waves crashed over their feet. In his left hand he held a pair of black sandals. Robin was honestly worried about his two friends but giving them the space they needed was necessary. But for now, his girlfriend would have his undivided attention as they spent the morning together.

"Robin look," Starfire had stopped walking and swooped down. The waves had receded and her hand flashed out before they could come back. "A shell from the sea."

She held out her palm to show him the small shell. It was a white cockle shell with a spot of tan. The ripples in it had reminded her of the ruffle chips that Robin and Cyborg ate so much of. In its own way, it was quite pretty even if wet grains of sand were caked on it.

Robin picked up the shell from his hand and held it to his ear, "You can hear the ocean in it."

"It is wonderful."

He was well aware that he was telling her one of the many believed Earth myths. But he couldn't resist seeing her green eyes light up in such a way. He replaced the shell in Starfire's hand she took a turn of holding it up to her ear. He loved to observe her curious and childlike nature to the some of the new things she still discovered.

He smiled at her, "It's nice but it's not as cute as you."

"You are full of the cheese." Starfire laughed and tucked the shell into her bag.

Robin laughed as well and took her hand in his and ignored some of the stares people had given them. "I don't think you're going to find that many seashells. We're in a tourist location."

"I am quite satisfied with the one I have now." She said.

The couple wandered around the beach and Starfire was excited to see the pieces of white coral Robin had pointed out. And the tiny fish that swam near the shoreline had captured both of their interests. Their main excursion was snorkeling after they were both done walking along the shore. Robin had double checked if Starfire's mask had properly fit her after he put on his blue flippers.

Starfire had her hair tied up and swam close to Robin and occasionally held his hand. And Robin was quite pleased. The water temperature didn't give them any relief from the day's heat which was not something Robin had expected. Living on the island of the T shaped tower, the water was always cold. They both had even pursued a sea turtle for ten minutes before Robin grew bored as the creature happened to move so slowly. It was something he had wanted to do but turned out boring after having seen and followed the turtle.

And the amount of tropical fish was unlike anything Robin had ever seen. Starfire had pointed out several orange clownfish on the ocean floor. They had even swum with bright green fish which Robin had come to favor in appearance wise but the fish were skittish and didn't allow the couple to get so close. And after they had explored more of the reef the ocean waves helped carry they back to the shore.

"The water was a bit warm." Robin brushed his dripping black hair out of his eyes. "Was there anything you had in mind to do?"

Starfire wrung out her hair from the water but it continued to drip, "But the breeze feels pleasant. Do you mind if we partake in volleying of the ball?" She pointed to an available net on the sand.

"What you're saying is that you're ready to lose?" Robin followed after his girlfriend towards the blue and white ball.

"You do not wish for us to partake in the friendly game instead?" Starfire stretched and Robin jogged ahead to get the ball. "I will prove to be victorious."

Robin smiled and held his right hand in a fist to serve, "I won't go easy on you."

Starfire laughed and the ball soared over the net to her. "I do not wish for you to."

The breeze felt comfortable as their swimsuits were still wet from their snorkeling. These were some of the moments he enjoyed most with her. Especially when Starfire could handle his desire for competition. The sun moved higher in the sky and their swimsuits had dampened. Robin was out of breath and he felt to warm as he made a dive to save the volleyball. Starfire seemed slower and floated an inch of the ground to avoid stepping on the hot sand. The game was close with Robin winning and Starfire only two points behind.

"May we please stop?" Starfire rolled the ball under the net to Robin. "I am the exhausted."

Robin stopped the ball with his foot, "Yeah, what do you say about a short nap?" Robin lifted the net to get to Starfire. "At least before we go zip lining."

He couldn't ignore the crinkle in her eyebrow, "I must agree. But what if Raven and Beast boy cannot do the solving of their problems?"

"Raven needs time to herself. You know how difficult it is for her to recover after parties." Robin said and Starfire collect her bag off the ground, "And if we can't find them, we'll just go with Cyborg and Bumblebee."

Starfire sighed and both of them walked without a destination in mind. Her silence didn't escape Robin's notice and he racked his brain in fear that he had said something wrong, it wasn't unlike Starfire to keep to herself and ice him out which in fact had happened once or twice.

Starfire smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes, "I suppose you are correct. I had merely hoped that the event would have helped with the bonding."

"I know and that was kind of you." Robin said.

"Robin, look!" Starfire's finger pointed ahead of them and to the right. "I have always wished to have one."

Now that was small news to him, "C'mon then."

An empty netted hammock was strung between two trees and it was slightly shaded. And Robin relished in the privacy they currently had. He held the hammock steady as he could for her before he settled down beside her. Seeing that Starfire was much taller than him, Robin nestled his head in the crook of her neck. His eyes immediately closed as Starfire contently played with his jet black hair.

It was nearing 12:30pm and Raven hadn't stepped foot outside of her cabin that morning. She had awoken later than usual and her throat was so parched that sips of water hadn't helped. She had taken to meditation and had contemplated her previous visit to Nevermore. Time had escaped her when she heard four knocks at her door.

"Raven, you in there?"

She settled down on the center of her bed and moved to stand up. It didn't take much for her to sense Bumblebee's aurora on the other side. Any form of irritation was absent from her being as she had been meditating for a few hours. Raven quickly crossed the room and opened the door. Sure enough Bumblebee stood patiently waiting for her.

"What?" Her tone was even and robotic like it was routine.

Bumblebee gave her a familiar look, "Are you still up for the zip line tour?"

"I…think I'll stay here." Raven said.

The dark skinned woman didn't move, "You sure? It'd help clear your mind."

Raven studied Bumblebee's content expression, "I don't know what you're getting at."

"Girl, this is a cruise." Bumblebee said, "And you've been cooped up instead of spendin' time with your friends and havin' fun."

Raven took a moment to ponder her words, "What's so wrong about wanting to be alone?"

"You don't have to be alone all the time." A small frown touched Bumblebee's lips, "Do you have to be so difficult?"

"Yes." Raven then looked behind her, "When are you guys leaving?"

"In twenty. We'll be just down the hall." Bumblebee smiled in triumph. After she left, Raven gently closed the door.

She had twenty minutes to collect her thoughts and to get herself together. She was already dressed in a black short sleeved blouse and denim shorts. And her meditation mirror had been shoved to the bottom of her suitcase. Raven closed her eyes and sat on the edge of the made bed. The tension between her and Beast boy had been high strung and the rest of the team had noticed. Shy glances had been exchanged between the two and both would look away just as quickly. Beast boy's guilt and nervousness had seeped into her and she had tried her best to ignore it.

"Aren't scared now are you, B?" Bumblebee asked.

"Huh?" Beast boy's head snapped up, "Uh, no. I'm good."

Raven's eyes flitted about, they were away from the ocean. There was just so much green around them. It was safe to say that it was greener than California. The group of titans stood amongst another group of three and they had just begun their hike to the zip line. All of their feet crunched under the gravel path.

Cyborg agreed with his girlfriend, "You've been pretty quiet this whole time."

Robin and Cyborg exchanged knowing looks. Beast boy made an effort to hang back behind the whole group. Eventually, Robin and Cyborg did so as well and all of them tuned out the instructor. Beast boy's green eyes found the back of Raven's purple hair near the front and looked away.

"Yeah, was there anything you wanted to talk about?" Robin asked.

"Um, not really." Beast boy scratched the back of his neck, a nervous tendency that he had picked up.

Cyborg patted Beast boy's shoulder, "Okay, spill green bean."

"What happened with you and Raven last night?" Robin rested his hands on the back of his head.

Beast boy swallowed and dodged the question by asking one of his own, "Can I ask you guys something?"

"You just did." Cyborg said.

Beast boy stared at his shoes, "When did you first kiss Starfire and Bumblebee?"

Robin's forehead crinkled, "What's does that have to do with anything?"

"Look, can you just answer it?" He motioned for his two best friends to lower their voices.

"Alright, alright." Cyborg said, "It's a bit cheesy so cut me some slack."

Beast boy was growing restless, "Dude, just tell me."

"First kiss was at titans east about two years ago." Cyborg began his short story, "The two of us were takin' a break on the roof."

"I was there to help install the new security system." Beast boy nodded his head; listening intently. "We decided to watch the rain and it was startin' to get dark out. Then Bee started dancing in the rain so after I while I came up behind her."

Cyborg annoying paused for effect, "She looked at me and we sort of just started dancing. Then I just leaned in and kissed her."

"And that's all true, no joking?" Beast boy said, "She didn't blow up in your face?"

The elder titan nodded his head to the first question, "All true. And why would she have been mad?"

"What about you?" Beast boy's attention shifted to their leader.

"Well there's not much to tell." Robin said, "You guys saw the whole thing when we were in Tokyo. But we almost kissed before then."

Cyborg laughed, "Yeah right"

Beast boy stepped over a fallen tree in the path, "When did that happen?"

"Shut up." Robin's voice was hard as he didn't want the rest of the group to hear, "It was before you three barged in."

"Can't blame us for that one." Cyborg said as the path grew narrower. "We didn't know."

Robin continued, "But my _first_ real kiss was with, Babs."

"Babs?" Beast boy asked.

"Batgirl."

Cyborg wore a smile on her face, "Bet Starfire doesn't know."

"In fact she does." Robin snapped, "It was in the summer when we went to the lake. A lot of people were there."

"We raced to this island in the middle and back." Robin said, "Then played a diving game to see who could swim the deepest."

Beast boy turned around and gave Cyborg a concerned look. And the half robot raised his eyebrow back while Robin followed the group ahead of them. So far, both of their stories didn't seem like complete disasters. Clearly, he must have done something wrong when he had pushed himself on Raven.

"Right. Keep going." Cyborg folded his arms only to drop them to his sides.

"So while we were diving," He glanced over his shoulder, "She held me under and kissed me. And that was that." He smiled at the fond memory.

Beast boy wore the same expression of confusion, "Dude, how old were you?"

"Eleven. She was twelve."

Cyborg nodded, "Well that explains it. So, something bothering you?"

Robin stopped which caused Beast boy to ram into the back of him, "You kissed her. You kissed, Raven."

Cyborg groaned as Robin had figured it out, "Tell me you didn't."

The path widened and Beast boy walked beside Robin, "I might have kissed her last night…at the party."

Robin slapped the back of his green head but not hard enough to really hurt him, "Do you even listen to anything we tell you?"

"Ouch." Beast boy held the back of his head anyways.

Cyborg shoved him from behind, "It's Raven. She's not like most girls."

"I-I don't know." The words quickly tumbled out of Beast boy's mouth, "It's sort of just…happened."

The gravel crunched beneath their feet, "Beast boy." Robin said, "You can really be an idiot sometimes."

"I know, I know."

"That explains the damage from last night." Cyborg said, "And why we haven't seen either of you this mornin'."

"You have to take things slow with her." Robin added onto Cyborg's advice, "Even if you're only friends."

"But she kissed me back a little bit." His green cheeks had turned pink with his confession.

Cyborg patted Beast boy's shoulder, "You don't have to make stuff up. Look, we'll drop the teasing."

"I'm not lying, that really happened." Beast boy's voice was strained with frustration, "Then she just ran off."

"What's done is done." Robin said, "It's in the past now."

It was silent for a moment until Cyborg spoke up, "There's nothing you can do to fix it." Beast boy's ears lowered in disappointment, "You gotta sit back and let Raven decide what happens next."

"And no influencing her decision." Robin continued, "By the way she reacted, it's best to give her time to think." He gave a half smile, "I hope you were listening to us this time."

"I was." Though Beast boy's voice sounded miles away.

The instructor in the front had stopped the group, "Here, we'll have you get your harness and helmet."

Off to the right of the path was a dark gray and white shed. The instructor unlocked the deadbolt and motioned for the group the step inside. Light blue helmets and black harness were on hooks against the wall. After the instructor went through how to adjust the gear the group was free to put it on.

"Could you help me make this tighter?" Raven had to hold up part of the harness.

It would have been Raven's first time zip lining. The other titans had been multiple times when they had gone on some of their hiking and rappelling trips. She had required assistance with tightening her harness. Heights had never bothered her as she could levitate so falling hadn't spooked her. Instead, she used it for a place of refuge when she wanted to be alone. Such as sitting on the roof of the tower or up in a tree.

"Does this feel okay?" Bumblebee asked and tugged on the strap one last time, "Comfortable?"

Raven nodded her head, "Yeah, thank you."

"Not so bad is it, Rae?" Bumblebee walked ahead of her out of the shed and turned to the wooden steps.

She had tried her best to avoid looking at Beast boy, "I can't believe I agreed to this."

"But you have not yet experienced the joy of weightlessness." Starfire said.

It never took much for Starfire to become so excited about the smallest things. For the most part, Starfire seemed like an overly optimistic sister to her. Raven shook her thoughts from her head and paid closer attention to both of her friends.

"But we fly all the time." Her voice devoid of emotion.

Bumblebee made sure all her hair fit inside her blue helmet, "Be a little open minded."

The group stopped at the top of the wooden steps just before the platform. Four dark skin men were dressed in bright blue shirts and white helmets. It was clear they were in charge of working the zip line. Raven folded her arms over her chest and listened to what the first instructor had to say.

"We have eight zip lines." The dark man named Fetu said, "The first one is two hundred meters across to the second platform. From there you will go onto the next platform and zip back with seven zip lines."

"Okay, we'll have you sign a waiver before you are able to be sent down." Fetu picked up three clipboards and pens and passed them around to the front of the group.

Raven patiently waited to receive the paperwork on not being held accountable for liability. Unlike her teammates, she scanned the context before signing her signature. The platform they were currently on was high and she could feel the trees sway with the breeze.

"The guide continued to speak while people were still signing, "The highest platform is forty-five meters and it's possible to reach sixty kilometers an hour."

Raven mentally converted it into about forty miles per hour. For a zip line, that was fast and she was beginning to have second thoughts. The man patiently waited until he had everyone's undivided attention.

"For anyone with long hair," Fetu rested his arm on the wooden railing to the steps, "Please have your hair tied up and tucked into your helmet. We don't want there to be an accident where it is possible to be scalped by it being caught in the pulleys."

"Keep any hair, clothing, necklace, and draw string hoodies secured." A woman with crooked teeth whispered to one of her friends for a hair tie. "Do _not_ grab the cable and hand breaking is not necessary."

Raven shifted her weight to her left foot, "I'm going to request that you stay up right. No upside down or superman zipping." The guide continued on with the list of safety concerns for another few minutes, "So who's going first?"

It was quiet for a moment before the woman—Selena—with crooked teeth stepped up. Two of the workers securely hooked her up with locking carabiners. Selena didn't hesitate and immediately left the platform when it was safe to do so. Her scream rang out loud and clear and they could hear the metal pulley riding against the metal cable. Raven grew nervous after three people including Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast boy had taken their turns.

"You going to be okay?" Robin asked.

"This is a lot higher than any I've been on before." Bumblebee said as she scoped out their surroundings.

That comment had captured Raven's attention, "Is this safe?"

"If it wasn't we wouldn't be here." Robin assured her.

Raven silently nodded her head, she wasn't the least bit frightened. "I'll go next."

The wait seemed to take forever until it was clear for her to go next. Robin and Bumblebee smiled and asked her several more times if she was alright. The only thing that had really bothered her, was her throat. And unfortunately, it had worsened and felt like she was trying to swallow glass shards. If she was getting sick, right then and there would mark the end of her vacation.

Soon her harness had been hooked up and Raven held onto the guide wire above her head. She took a deep breath and silently counted before her feet left the ground. She hadn't uttered a peep while everyone else had scream and shouted. Instead the wind whistled in her ears as well as the metallic sound of the pulley. The wind whipped at her face as she picked up speed and she couldn't help but look around her. Shades of green, brown, and branches whipped past her and Raven was above most of the trees.

But what made her heart stop was the rapidly approaching river she would fly across. If not for her excessive meditation session, she could have easily endangered herself. Raven's eyes snapped shut so she wouldn't have to see the rocks that jutted out and the rapids that rushed around them. As she grew nearer to the platform she could hear the screams and clapping, a sign that it was safe to open her eyes.

"How was that for your first time, Raven?" Cyborg asked as she was immediately attended to.

Raven looked up and tried to regain her balance, "Honestly?"

Starfire and Cyborg nodded their heads, "Yes, of course." She said.

"Honestly, it was a little fun."

"I knew you would enjoy it." Starfire said and with that they waited for the last three members of the group to use the zip line.

Raven couldn't ignore the looks her teammates threw at her and Beast boy. It was obvious they knew something was up judging from their behaviors. But there was a solution and according to Raven she fortunately was prepared for almost any situation. She had to be ever since Beast boy had brought that blasted kissing plant into the tower. It would be a matter of hours or even days for the awkward tension to dissipate.

All in all, they had spent nearly two and a half hours on the course. Beast boy had cracked and began to speak more but was more careful towards Raven. And the empath had silently observed him and caught his attention more than a handful of times. They had crossed through the gateway to get back onto the cruise ship. And it was only a matter of time before they would head to dinner like clockwork.

"…going to wash up." Robin said, "When do you guys want to meet back up?"

Cyborg was next to answer as they turned down the hall to their cabins, "I don't know about you guys but I'm ready for some good eating."

"When are you not?" Bumblebee whispered under her breath.

"In forty minutes." Raven said while staring at her shoes.

When the boys had stopped, so had she as they had reached their cabins, "Sounds like enough time." Beast boy said and quickly slipped into his own room.

Raven followed Starfire and Bumblebee further down the hallway and they walked into their respective cabins. Each titan with the thought of a warm shower and fresh clean clothes on their minds. She moved to pull out a new set of clothes from her suitcases and headed to the familiar shower. She had towel dried her hair though droplets of water still fell onto her shoulders. Now Raven had just under fifteen minutes to work on what she really needed.

"At least one of us will be relieved." She mumbled and snatched the blue Gatorade bottle off the small table. It was on the way back to the cruise ship when she had purchased it from a vending machine.

Raven stood in front of the bathroom mirror and broke the seal on the orange cap. She wasted no time in pouring the contents down the drain and rinsed out residue. The ingredients to her potion was spread across the bathroom counter. Most were in tiny vials and others in plastic snack bags. But the important part was to somehow get Beast boy to drink at least half of the bottle. If Raven could succeed in doing that, then Beast boy's memory of their shared kiss would be erased. All of the ingredients had been premeasured and now that she had a piece of his DNA she set to work.

"A strand of Beast boy's hair," Raven dropped it in the after she had mostly filled the container with water. "And a teaspoon of River Weed."

The empath continued through the motions as if she had performed the potion before. Though she had never brewed a memory wipe, it hadn't been the first time she had prepared potions. And it was probably the reason why some citizens in Jump City had called her out on being a half demon witch. The solution changed from a murky brown into a dark blue after adding some of her own magic to it. Raven twisted the orange cap back onto the bottle and left to meet her teammates.

"What's taking Robin so long?" Beast boy leaned up against the wall and used the handrail to support his weight.

Bumblebee looked just as bored as they stood in the narrow corridor, "For all we know he's probably trying to spike his hair."

"We could just leave him." Raven said as they had had forty minutes to meet up again.

Starfire didn't look convinced, "I suggest that we continue with the waiting."

Beast boy lightly banged his head against the wall, "That's what we've been doing for the past twelve minutes."

Cyborg rapped his knuckles on the door for the second time, "Yo Rob, we're leaving with or without ya."

A muffled voice emerged on the other side of the door. A few impatient minutes later and the boy wonder had finally stepped out. His hands were lost in his black hair as Bumblebee had predicted. The door closed behind Robin and he gave his irritated friends a sheepish smile.

"I was um busy." Robin half gave them an explanation on his tardiness.

"I am glad that we will be sharing the meal together." Starfire said and walked ahead beside Bumblebee, "But we have not done the deciding of where we are to eat."

Raven walked beside Beast boy with the Gatorade bottle securely in her hand. It had taken a good amount of concentration to not accidentally burst the lights from above. She waited for an opening when she could offer the beverage to the changeling. And hopefully she wouldn't have to wait long.

Bumblebee led them to the direction of the elevator, "How about French?"

"Seafood?" Cyborg tossed the idea into the air.

Beast boy had even stopped to stare at Cyborg behind him, "So you want me to starve?"

"Course not." The half robot grinned, "No one's forcin' you to be vegan." Beast boy mumbled under his breath but argued no more on the matter.

"That's not fair to Beast boy." Robin said and pressed the 'up' elevator button. "We could try Italian."

Raven suppressed a sigh, "If we go to a buffer then everyone will be satisfied on what they want."

"Not a bad idea, Raven." Bumblebee admitted after she had stepped into the elevator.

Cyborg brought Bumblebee close to his side, "Now all we have to do is find one."

It had taken longer than any of them had wished and more stomachs were growling besides Cyborg's. Raven's head seemed to pound the longer she stood on her feet as they tried to figure out where they were going. Starfire had insisted she had seen the restaurant a while back and without question, her teammates followed her. Beast boy on the other hand had a sour expression on his face.

"I just want a bottle of water," Beast boy pleaded with the determined tamaranian, "Does it really matter where we eat?"

"Starfire, you don't know where we're going do you?" Raven had one hand pressed to her temple and she squinted.

Starfire had stopped and observed the surroundings while crowds of people walked around them. "I assure you that I have passed it before. Raven, what is wrong?" She had turned to face her friends who had taken refuge on benches.

"It's just a headache," Raven brought her hand back into her lap, "Or a migraine."

"You sure you're not coming down with something?" Concern colored Robin's tone as he evaluated her from behind his mask.

Raven struggled to keep her features composed, "I'm not sick."

At least she hoped that she wasn't, but the odds were against her. The tell-tale signs of her getting a cold was evident. It had been hours and her throat hadn't improved not to mention the possible migraine she was now experiencing. It wouldn't come as a surprise to the other titans and she was prone to illness. And probably why Robin had selected a warm vacation destination compared to snow covered Jump City.

"It is close." Starfire said and encouraged her friends to stand up.

After the looks his friends gave him Robin spoke up, "Um Star, maybe we should ask someone."

"Hello, may I remind you that I'm dying of thirst here?" Beast boy complained.

"Do you have to be so dramatic?" Raven rolled her eyes and Beast boy playfully made a face at her, "Here."

She handed him the blue beverage. It wasn't how she initially imagined how the situation would play out. As simple as it was, Raven didn't question it. The effect would take place approximately after two hours but that was only a guess. She could be very wrong and Raven took that risk. Anything to save her from the awkwardness that had fallen over the two.

"What?" Beast boy raised an eyebrow at her, "You didn't poison it did you?"

Raven hadn't realized she had been staring, "I'm making sure you don't backwash."

"What do you take me for, Rae?" Beast boy held the bottle away from his lips, "Fine I'll waterfall."

Cyborg and Starfire ended up bickering over her wrong directions. It wasn't until Raven shouted at them that they stopped. Beast boy had wasted no time unscrewing the orange cap, ready to down the liquid. He had swallowed the cool liquid four times before he wiped his mouth. Beast boy had no intention of returning Raven's drink so he could quench his thirst.

"See it is right here." Starfire had her arms folded across her chest.

Cyborg easily forgot their argument as he smelled the food, "Could've been here sooner."

The line wasn't long and the wait to be seated was short. The soft sound of Christmas music produced a light atmosphere. The flooring was carpeted with a floral design and consisted shades of red, gray, and white. The chair frames were black and wooden but the seat cushions were light blue. The group of six titans were seated at a round table that overlooked the ocean below.

Raven followed after Starfire towards the food with Bumblebee. Cyborg had insisted they go ahead and got their food first so the men could look after the purses and belongings. A stack of colorful plates was at the very beginning of the small line and placed throughout the restaurant.

Raven's hand reached out to take a sea green plate on top, "You should get another one."

Bumblebee inspected her blue plate even closer, "That's just nasty."

Sure enough small particles of food still remained on its surface. Starfire had already been contemplating the many food options laid out before them. Bumblebee had properly traded her filthy plate to one she had approved of. And Raven's eyes lingered on the quite enticing array of desserts. She quickened her pace so that the three male titans could fix their own plates.

"Is that all you want, Raven?" Starfire stared at the small amount of food Raven carried in each hand.

Bumblebee reached for the shredded cheese to add to her nachos. "There's plenty more for seconds and thirds."

"This is all I want." Raven then remembered how many stomachs Starfire actually did have. No wonder the tamaranian was so concerned with her meal portions.

Starfire reached for the silver tongs to place a roll of bread to her plate. And Bumblebee carefully added jalapenos on top of her nachos. Raven waited for both of her friends before walking back to the round table. After Raven had sat down between Robin and Beast boy, the green man pushed back his chair and stood up.

"That's all you're eating?" Cyborg appeared shocked, though he knew Raven never ate much.

Raven reached for her fork, "Yes."

Robin stood up along with Cyborg and Beast boy, "So enough to fill a bird?"

"Essentially." Beast boy said under his breath.

But before Raven could utter a peep; he was gone. She pursed her lips and stared at her hands folded in her lap. She barely even heard Starfire's concerns about politely waiting for the males to return before digging into their meals. And to Raven's surprise, Beast boy and Cyborg hadn't ridiculously piled their plates and bowls with food.

"How's everything back in Jump City?" Robin spun his plate around to reach his mixed vegetables.

Bumblebee shrugged her shoulders and avoided Robin's questioning stare behind his mask. She was quiet now and knew the leader had been addressing her. It hadn't been enough to draw Raven's attention and Cyborg tried changing subjects again.

"You know w-"

Starfire perked up immediately and cut Cyborg off, "Yes, please do tell if Silkie is the okay."

Raven picked off a pepperoni to eat, "And if the tower is still standing."

"The tower's fine." The dark skinned woman reassured her friends.

Beast boy dipped a French fry in ketchup, "Yeah, but what about, Silkie?

"Starfire, don't worry alright?" Bumblebee finally met Robin and Starfire's intense stares, "Silkie…well, they can't find him."

Raven was forced to closed her eyes as the unbridled emotions from Starfire worsened her migraine. "We must certainly return home at once."

Robin rubbed her shoulder in attempt to comfort her, "We're out of the country, Starfire. And I'm sure Speedy and Aqualad have it covered."

"But Speedy has expressed his dislike of my little bungorf." The worry in her green eyes was evident as was the folds in her forehead.

"He'd never harm the poor worm." Bumblebee twisted the silver ring around her finger, "And he never said anythin' about Silkie leaving the tower."

Starfire slouched in her chair and continued to sulk. Raven's hand massaged her temple once more after eating the rest of her Jell-O. Silkie was after all Starfire's and Beast boy's beloved pet. But seeing their friend so distraught had affected them all in one way or another. And Raven was sure that when they returned home, Starfire would really chew out Speedy and Aqualad.

"All this time we've been here and we all haven't seen any fireworks together." Cyborg changed the subject in hopes to get Starfire's mind off her pet.

Robin's fingers gently grazed Starfire's back, "We could go after dinner."

"And who knows maybe we could even go shopping or something like that." Beast boy had easily caught on to what both of his friends were doing. "And if you really wanted, a theater performance."

Starfire lifted her head and gave them a genuine smile, "May we really observe the theater performance tonight?"

"I don't see why not." Bumblebee crunched on her tortilla chip.

The conversation shifted about how everyone's day went and then to Christmas that was rapidly approaching. Raven gave her input when she thought necessary but mostly refrained from speaking as it hurt. It had taken some effort from all of them, but eventually Starfire had cheered up. Her hand was curled up into a fist and she leaned heavily on her elbow to rest her head on her hand.

Beast boy reached for the Gatorade bottle he had placed in front of his orange bowl. And the action didn't go unnoticed by Raven. "…ust saying we should totally go hot-tubbing."

"I agree with grass stain." Bumblebee smiled, and Beast boy shook his head at her and Cyborg's shared nickname for him.

"Is something troubling you, Raven?" Robin had paused his conversation with Cyborg.

Her eyes had been focused in the middle of nowhere until she caught Beast boy's movements. The substance had changed to color in between pink and purple and how he hadn't noticed was beyond her. His lips rested on the rim of the bottle, obviously forgetting to waterfall.

"Don't drink that." With so much as a flick of Raven's wrist, Beast boy's borrowed drink had been knocked out of his hands. Droplets had been flung onto his gray t-shirt and exposed arms.

Beast boy stared at her wide eyed as did the rest of the team, "You could've just said you wanted it back, Raven."

She was at a loss for words and embarrassment settled over her, "I didn't know."

Her face flushed as she had noticed she made a scene and judgmental eyes that didn't belong to her teammates found her. She ducked her head until the conversation continued without Robin pestering her. Beast boy shook his head and casually rested his arm on the back of Bumblebee's chair for support to lift the two front legs of his chair off the ground.

"It is the perfect idea, is it not?" Starfire agreed with whatever Beast boy had been saying.

Robin raised an eyebrow, "But I though you wanted to go to the theater."

"Why not do all of it?" Cyborg reached for his glass of soda, "I'm sure we can make it work."

"Hot tubbing." Bumblebee repeated, "They're showing a romantic comedy at seven."

"What do you say, Raven?" Cyborg used a napkin to wipe his lips clean, "You in for more team-bonding?"

Raven brought her elbow to her mouth and coughed, "Hot tubs are cesspools for bacteria."

"Way to kill the fun with knowledge." Beast boy pushed his chair back and stood up as he was already finished with his meal.

Her mouth slightly hung open until she remembered to close it. It seemed that she was just ripe for embarrassment all evening. Her eyes lingered on his retreating form until she brought her eyes back to her empty plate. Robin had scolded him for his behavior and Bumblebee shook her head. The empty chair beside her felt like a thorn in her side, though she knew he didn't mean to hurt her feelings.

"I believe Beast boy was doing the teasing." Starfire looked concerned but Raven had already pulled up the hood of her sweater.

It was habit she had developed to hide her insecurities. Another cough racked through her body but otherwise she said nothing. She could always revisit the library again as she had been so rudely interrupted the last time she was there. Starfire continued to comfort her friend unaware Raven hadn't been listening. She felt a motion beside her and Beast boy sat back down.

She looked up to see Beast boy's green arm extended out to her, "You can't skip dessert."

Raven stared at the pink pillowy cotton candy, she had only tasted it once before. And that had been when Cyborg declared a team outing to a theme park during one summer. Robin and Starfire had gone off on their own which had left Raven with the remaining two titans. Beast boy had been shocked that she had never had any and Cyborg had bought cones of blue cotton candy for the three of them.

"Thanks," By now, Raven should have been accustomed to his kindness. "You do know that it's just sugar, right?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she bit her tongue at what she had said. She had probably ruined the treat for him as well. "What did you think it was made out of? C'mon Rae, have some. It's just a special treat."

She didn't notice Bumblebee staring at her, "Your eyes…they're pretty."

And they were. She didn't know exactly why she had decided to share her thoughts with him. But she did in fact take a liking to the shade of green and how his eyes seemed to sparkle. Raven watched the multiple expressions danced over his features and matched his feelings.

"I um…thank you?" Beast boy was startled by her compliment and he looked at Robin for help.

"You probably get that a lot though." Her eyes followed his to a wide eyed Robin.

Beast boy rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess so. No, no not really."

"Is she _flirting_ with him?" Robin managed to get out in a hushed whisper.

Bumblebee her hands off on her napkin, "Maybe she doesn't know she's doin' it."

It was after Cyborg and Starfire ate their own deserts when they left the buffet restaurant. A trip back to their cabins was made as all of the titans had acquired their swimsuits. Raven had hesitated but settled for wearing hers underneath her regular clothing. Robin was particularly excited about watching fireworks with his own girlfriend that night. Even if they hadn't caught the view from the beginning.

"And you still don't want to get in, Raven?" Bumblebee asked as she dipped her toes in the hot tub.

Luckily enough, the titans currently had the hot tub to themselves which was nice for the time being. Despite what she had said at dinner, her friends had ignored her horrifying facts and got in anyways. Except for Beast boy, who stood beside her. The hot tub was clear and looked fairly clean but Raven stood behind what she had said. A large TV was easy to view from where it was mounted. Red fireworks screamed and shot up into the sky before raining down with the sound of crackling

"No," Raven gently held onto her other hand and stared up at the dark sky, "I'd like to preserve my piece of mind by standing here."

Beast boy nodded, "I can't see myself getting in there anymore."

It had been his own fault that he had asked Raven to elaborate what she meant about bacteria cesspools. And in turn, he was truly disgusted. She had considered dipping her toes in the pool instead but changed her mind when she had caught a child peeing in it. Beast boy brushed her elbow and extracted Raven from her own thoughts.

"We can go sit if you'd like."

All she had to do was so much as look at him before a tiny smile broke out across her face. "Over there."

She felt giddy with just being in his presence and that she held a portion of his attention. She wasn't even positive if they were even her own emotions to begin with. But one thing she did know was hers, was the fear she also felt when she spoke with him. Her own anxiety threatened to overcome her at just the daydream of her and Beast boy. Her thoughts overruled her again, thinking she really should've let him drink the rest of the Gatorade bottle. With a snap of her fingers, she had ruined the moment with her friends questioning her motives.

"Cyborg's been trying to catch your attention, Rae." Beast boy waved his hand in front of her face and Raven gave it her best effort to be annoyed.

Just as Beast boy had said, Robin had been making his way over to the couple with the other titans following. Bumblebee had a white towel wrapped around her waist while Starfire continued to dry off her legs.

She slapped his hand away from her face, "What?"

"Quit botherin' the poor lady." Cyborg shot Beast boy a knowing look, which caused his friend to slump back on the plastic chair with a sour look on his face.

Robin turned his attention back to Beast boy then to Raven, "Did you still want to go to the theater performance?"

"Actually, I don't feel so well." Raven said. Her friends knew she had been lying but chose not to argue over her sickly state. And for that, she was thankful. "I'm going to head to bed."

"I could assist in walking you back to your cabin." Starfire eased her hand out of Robin's; ready to help.

Raven shook her head and the thought of sleep became more enticing, "I'll manage."

"But what if something were to hap-" Starfire was immediately cut off my Bumblebee.

"The girl said she could handle it." Bumblebee said, "Just give us a call when you get there so we know if you made it alright."

Cyborg looked at the digital clock built into his arm, "Best be going now to get some decent seats."

"Night Raven." Robin looked as if he were thinking on something, "Get some rest."

She nodded her head once and broke away from the group. Even then, she could sense Beast boy's concern for her as she made her trek back to her room. As soon as her head would hit the pillow that night, her vacation would be officially over. It would then be spent on recovering and putting up with her friends fussing over her health. And that year would be no different from all the previous ones.


	9. Porcelain Promises

Porcelain Promises

"How are you feelin' Raven?" Cyborg asked after finishing off his orange juice. Both of his eyes carefully scanned her over.

Raven nodded her head, "I'm okay…are _you_ okay?"

Starfire didn't look convinced at her friend's answer, "But you have the sniffles and the small amphibian has taken residence in your throat."

Beast boy took another bite of his vegan pancakes, "Yeah, maybe we should get you to a doctor or something."

"We'll go after breakfast." Robin said and left no room for Raven to argue her case. "We need to inform the medical staff of your illness."

Raven's passive face scrunched into a frown, "Then you might be quarantined with me."

"Your health comes first so don't try to argue." Bumblebee said, "You aren't so good when it comes to colds."

Although her friends tried to reassure her it didn't help and Robin's discreet plan had blown up in their faces. She had ruined the last couple of days of their cruise. Another reason why Raven should have remained at the tower during their vacation. And unfortunately, that wasn't even the worst stage of her being ill.

"We'll grab some cough drops on the way." Cyborg dabbed a napkin over his lips and left it on his empty plate. "Might as well get some for the trip home too."

The medical center was relatively empty save for only two other passengers. And despite Raven's polite protests, all her friends tagged along with her. Cyborg, Starfire, and Bumblebee plopped themselves in hard chairs that was situated in the waiting room the waiting room. Robin insisted on hearing what the nurse would have to say about Raven. And as for Beast boy, she had insisted that he come and had even laced her fingers with his.

A nurse had escorted the three of them into the tight quarters of the medical room. And it was more of a relief to Robin to discover that all of the medical staff were credentialed and spoke fluent English. There was a patient bed to the left of the room alongside a counter that consisted of many drawers. The black countertop was covered in all types of equipment in addition to quite a few machines that occupied the room. But it had everything to be able to treat any kind of emergency.

"Did you fall or something?" Beast boy asked while they were situated in the cramped room, "Hit your head maybe?"

Her behavior had drastically changed overnight and it was understatement to say that it made rest of the team uneasy. Beast boy stared at the contrasting tones of their skin as their fingers remained intertwined together. In fact, she had been trying to avoid him for the majority of the trip only to turn around and seem to crave his company.

Raven's thin eyebrows pulled together in confusion, "I can't remember doing so."

Robin and Beast boy took residence in the two white plastic chairs. Robin rested his leg on his opposite knee while Beast boy tried to pull out of Raven's grasp. She sat beside him, though she was up higher on the exam table with the wax paper running down the middle. It crinkled each time she shifted while the three titans waited in silence.

"Hello. Nice to meet you." A tall doctor stepped into the room and looked no older than forty. "I'm Doctor Lamb. You must be Raven though I'm unsure about you two."

Robin momentarily stood up to shake hands with him, "Robin and that's Beast boy. We'll both be out of your way."

The last sentence was purposely directed to Beast boy to not interfere even if Raven had requested to continue holding his hand. By Robin, he was momentarily forbidden to do so and shockingly the changeling was more than fine with it. Raven glanced over Doctor Lamb's uniform again and at the educational posters that hung on the walls.

"Alright, if the nurse told me correctly you're here because you aren't feeling too well?"

Raven nodded her head once, "Yeah."

"Mind telling me a few of your symptoms?" Doctor Lamb held onto his brown clipboard and stood before her.

Raven tugged at a loose strand on the sleeve of her sweater, "I have a sore throat, coughing, and chills."

At least those were the beginning symptoms that she currently had. Unfortunately, she had frequently endured worse and coming to the doctor would only serve as pointless. Robin and Cyborg should have very well known that. Then again, she didn't have it in her to argue.

"The sore throat I can hear. Let's take a closer look at you." Doctor Lamb turned to the counter and fiddled with one of the clear jars. "Open wide."

Raven opened her mouth as he used a tongue depressor and otoscope to peer at her throat. The observation was quick and Doctor Lamb turned to dispose of the flat wooden stick in the chrome garbage can. He then placed to fingers on each side of her neck before he pulled away.

"The glands in your neck are swollen." Doctor Lamb said, "A viral infection. Not much we can do about that."

Beast boy shared a look with Robin before he voiced his own concerns, "Isn't there medicine you could give her?"

The doctor briefly smiled and addressed him, "It's a minor case. But if it does grow worse, her doctor can prescribe antibiotics to help." Doctor Lamb turned towards the table and cabinets behind him and searched for a different instrument, "But I do suggest gargling salt water, sipping on hot liquids, and throat lozenges for the meantime."

Raven sat quietly through the rest of the appointment while Robin or Beast boy would occasionally ask questions. It became apparent that she was running a small fever and that her lungs sounded fine. Her symptoms were quickly diagnosed though it didn't seem to ease Robin and Beast boy tense postures.

"It seems like the common cold has made its way to you." The doctor was close to ending his small exam of Raven after disposing the protective cover for the thermometer. "Hopefully, it'll blow over in a few of days."

Raven's face was one of puzzlement as Beast boy snapped at the doctor and his assumptions about the common cold. Robin only thanked the man and ushered the two titans out of the door and down the short hallway. Cyborg, Starfire, and Bumblebee had all patiently waited for them.

"You sure you don't want to hang back and rest?" Cyborg asked for a second time after they left the medical center.

Raven shook her head and cringed when it brought her pain, "I'm positive."

"Right." Robin said, "Of course you don't."

Starfire walked alongside Cyborg and spoke with him in a much lower voice. Raven strained her ears but she couldn't make out what they were mumbling to one another. Bumblebee and Beast boy on the other had discussed something about entertainment. Her eyes seemed to glaze over and stared at the tiled ground underneath her feet.

"We still haven't gone rock climbing." Robin said as they walked the familiar path to a set of elevators. "As a team that is."

Beast boy frowned at the thought of physical labor as fun, "You're still onto that, dude?"

Raven easily caught onto Robin's mischievous smirk, "So you're afraid I'll beat you to the top?"

"No way." Beast boy didn't have a second thought we he gave into Robin's antics.

Starfire had linked arms with her boyfriend, "Afterwards we shall commence with shopping."

Bumblebee had to frown at the suggestion, "Don't chu ever get tired of shoppin'?"

"No." Starfire pondered for a few more minutes, "Or perhaps karaoke may be best?"

Cyborg nodded his head, "Not a bad choice either."

Raven pursed her lips as innocent images of the green changeling filled her mind. Just the sight of him sent her heartbeat sputtering and the nerves had her body jittery. How she longed to hold his warm hand and slightly swing their arms.

"…ou listening?" Starfire waved her hand in front of her friend's face.

"She was in la-la land again." Bumblebee said while she fitted a black harness around her waist, "You gonna be fine sitting here?"

Raven blinked several times as she didn't remember walking to the outside rock wall. "Of course."

A smile graced her lips when Beast boy turned to look at her as he buckled his white helmet. "You sure you don't want to give it a go?"

"I'm feeling a bit dizzy." Raven placed a hand to her temple to emphasize her point, "I can watch."

"Alright then." Beast boy gave her a small smile and Raven winked at him in return. A millisecond later his head whipped around to do a double take of her unusual behavior.

She sat on the bench just outside the fenced off area for the activity. A thick blue padded matt was spread out in the fenced off area and workers were helping the titans get situated, Raven watched as her friends decided how they were going to race each other and it was settled that Robin and Beast boy would go first. The rock wall was built to only be climbed by three people at a time.

"No powers, B!" Cyborg clarified and watched from a short distance as his two friends started off.

"Yeah, yeah I know." He called back.

Robin playfully shoved Beast boy to the side to get a head start resulting in Robin's foot being swiped out underneath him by the younger titan. Raven let her eyes wander to the hundreds of other passengers on the level beneath her. It awhile before she grew bored of Robin and Beast boy's competitive antics. Though Bumblebee had been kind enough to sit down with her though no words had been exchanged. It was a good forty minutes later after Robin had won that Starfire and Bumblebee had their chance on the rock wall.

"There's an art gallery and auction later." Beast boy's eyes scanned the daily program, "Does that sound like something you want to do?"

A genuine smile broke through her passive expression, "Of course."

Robin's eyes narrowed underneath his mask and Starfire shared a look of unease. A fever couldn't cause Raven to act so…estranged. Cyborg tried his best to shrug her weird behavior and act as if everything was alright. Bumblebee on the other hand shook her head at the couple and undid the harness around her waist.

"Staring is impolite." Raven laughed and clasped her hands together.

Cyborg closed his eyes and exhaled, "Maybe you should res—"

Raven turned on him, glowing with delight. "I feel great."

"But I believe I have heard you expresses that the gallery of art is boring." Starfire raised an eyebrow at her green teammate.

Beast boy shrugged his shoulders in response, "Well we haven't really done anything that Raven liked and our last day is tomorrow."

Without further protest, the six titans followed the changeling to the rather dull event. Wooden arm chairs were neatly in array for the guests and multiple pieces of art were displayed in the large open room. The light was dim, leaving spotlights for the showcased pieces and Raven was in awe at some of the things she saw. Cyborg could have cared less though he followed his girlfriend to browse the gallery. Starfire and Robin wondered around the room in the opposite direction with no interest to bring any art back to titan's tower.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen," An older man spoke into the microphone and dressed the first portrait on display, "This first piece is Shelly Cobb's pieces is authenticated through the estate of Geffory Perkins…"

The shiny bald man continued to talk more about the piece and where the signature was located. Beast boy repressed a sigh, the place screamed boredom to younger than forty-two. The distinct sound of a baby crying filled the room and Beast boy lead her to a more secluded row of bidders. Soon the man was speaking quickly and people were flashing up white signs as the bidding grew higher in amount.

"…sold for one hundred and ten!" The man leaned his arm on the podium and gave on a relaxed appearance, "Congratulations and that is how we play the game."

Beast boy slouched down in his chair until he forced himself to sit up straighter. He couldn't help but notice Raven's short and nearly frequent glances out of the corner of his eye. He lost sight of Robin in the crowd and he had failed to notice his hand in Raven's as she traced light patterns on his palm. The feeling of pure elation filled her just at being in his presence and with all the smiles he freely handed to her. A look of concern washed over her features but Beast boy had already returned his focus to the front of the room.

She lightly squeezed his large hand to get his attention, "I have to tell you something."

"What is it?"

Raven giggled quietly and motioned for Beast boy to come closer to her own height. His head was bent low to hear what she had to whisper in his ear though the foyer was currently louder than necessary. Speaking wasn't entirely on her mind and her eyes flashed to his green lips. He was close enough to where she leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth. Beast boy went stock still before he angled his head and brought her mouth back to his in another innocent kiss. Only four seconds had passed when he shook off the stupor and abruptly pulled back.

"This is wrong." He kept his voice low so only Raven could hear him, "Raven, you're acting strange and I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that."

Beast boy ran his hands through his forest green hair until it looked like he was going to start pulling out the strands. He looked back down at her as she hadn't acknowledged him, instead she sat as still as a statute. The glossed over look that had resided in her lavender eyes was absent. And as predicted she came back to her senses and abruptly stood which caused heads to turn in their direction. Her feet carried her away from the changeling though he followed her in the same brisk pace until they were in a less foot trafficked area.

"Please. Don't." Beast boy's large hand gently rested underneath her elbow, "Don't run away again."

Raven hesitated and tried to slow her heart rate. She refused to make eye contact with him as her mind continued to scream different commands at her. Her face and neck was flushed and made part of her appear as an ordinary human. Raven tugged her arm out of his grasp but Beast boy's hand moved to her shoulder instead.

"I know you're scared, Raven. In no way would it be easy and neither of us are perfect." His words were rushed as he grew more jittery each passing second, "Just put your powers and your past behind…will you give me a chance?"

"It was just infatuation." Her voice was almost shy which matched her reaction of fleeing, "What do you expect from an emoticlone?"

It was clear Beast boy wasn't having any of her excuses, "No Raven, it wasn't. It was an amplified emotion." He paused only a second before he continued, "Tell me you don't feel anything for me at all."

"I-I need some time to think about it."

Beast boy studied her lavender eyes until she looked away first. "Promise that you will?"

Raven nodded her head and gave an automated response, "Okay."

She felt the pressure of his hand leave her shoulder and she was free to continue walking. She could feel his green eyes linger on her until she turned the corner. Her stomach felt uneasy and her heart accelerated with fear. But there was a tiny chance that Beast boy would forget what Raven has promised she would do.

Sure she would try to consider Beast boy's words but it didn't mean that she had to provide him with an answer. Two days. Two more days and they we would be back on their way to Jump City. Raven shook her head in attempt to clear her own jumbled thoughts and decided it was best to gather most of her belongings and have them packed into her suitcase. A sheet of colored paper rested on the neatly made bed beside a folded towel animal.

"You'll be leaving soon. But the cruise will stay with you." Raven read the bold letters aloud.

The rest of the small pamphlet gave the procedure and tips for disembarkation day. It had discussed the times of breakfast and where to pick up confiscated items and alcohol. Her pale fingers placed the paper back on the bed and she turned to her carry-on bag. The time had flown faster than she could believe and in a matter of days they would all be back in Titan Tower. The thought of having her own bed again was more than enticing.

But what had troubled her most was Beast boy, she had even pondered on what he had said. Despite the many times she had tried to erased the memory of him and the incident. She had thought about him more that she should have in the last two days. And that itself was more than just troubling. Raven would eventually have to face the changeling whether he remembered her promise or not.

"Raven, have you not yet awoken?" Starfire knocked several times on the door. "You have missed the first meal of the day. And Cyborg wishes to departure soon so we will not miss our early flight."

It was odd enough that Raven hadn't been the first to arise. Though it was even worse to be startled awake by such a loud noise from the Tamaranian. She felt like she had swallowed sharp knives and her throat was drier than the Sahara Desert. She blinked several times before moving to sit up and pull off her covers.

"I'll be out in a few minutes." The voice that left her mouth didn't sound as if it belonged to her. It was raspy and she unintentionally skipped over some of the pronounced words. "And losing my voice just got worse."

Raven couldn't help but to wince at how harsh she actually sounded. It even hurt the glands in her neck from just whispering to herself. Though Starfire must have heard her through the door as there was no further conversation. Raven proceeded to hurry along her morning routine thankful that their suitcases had been set out and taken care of the night before.

"You look awful, Raven." She had barely stepped out her cabin when Bumblebee pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. "Swelterin' too."

"I'm okay." Her sarcasm wasn't as strong and no longer sounded intimidating, "And because every girl wants to hear that."

"I'm just telling it as it is." Bumblebee defended herself and Cyborg casually rested an arm around his girlfriend's waist.

Robin had started to take the strap of her carry-on bag, "I can take it."

"I can carry it myself." She held her pale hand out to him and expected for her personal belongings to be replaced. "My arms aren't broken."

Raven fixed him with a look but Robin was already walking down the hall with his own bag. It only left the rest of the titans to follow after him. And unfortunately for Raven, she would be considered a porcelain doll for the next several days. It hadn't made any sense for her friends to treat her in such a way as she was most resilient and independent.

"We'll pick up some medicine." Cyborg said over his shoulder, "How's that sound?"

Raven nodded her head once, "Thanks,"

"It won't be strong enough for her." Robin said, "Might not help much."

Starfire held her boyfriend's free hand, "It is the best we can do."

Beast boy slowly followed afterwards and made sure Raven was beside him, "Since you didn't show for breakfast I thought I would save you something."

He presented her with a large blueberry muffin with a tiny smile. He had been careful to only hold it from the white cupcake liner. Beast boy had even taken notice of her small unmasked surprise. A full twenty-four hours hadn't even passed and Raven already had her walls up.

"I…thank you." She carefully took the pastry out of his palm and Beast boy turned his attention back to Starfire. Only stealing glances at Raven when he thought she wasn't looking.

Raven nibbled on her light breakfast while the titans trekked through the cruise ship. Robin had reviewed and had taken care of the cruise ship charges that morning. The events of the morning became foggy in Raven's mind as she followed her friends around the cruise ship. And as the hours ticked by the crowd of passengers filled the hallways and restaurants.

"How are you holding up?" Bumblebee asked after their passports had been inspected and were free to find their mode of transportation to the airport.

"I'll survive." Her hand still held onto the half eaten muffin, "You don't need to fuss over me."

"I think you might be running a fever." Beast boy said and his green eyes scanned her face, "Are you really that cold?"

"Cold? I'm freezing." Raven's arms were crossed over her chest in a small and unsuccessful effort to trap her body heat.

It was hardly cold outside as Robin decided to call for a taxi. A light breeze tugged at the stands of her purple hair and she inconspicuously huddled closer to Beast boy. But she basked in the sun's warmth as the rays warmed her face. Though the rest of friends were either sweating or peeling off their sweaters in the 80-degree temperature she was still cold.

"Look alive, Raven." Cyborg said as he held open the glass door that led into the airport, "We don't want to be denied this flight because you're sick."

Raven bobbed her head once but stopped when the onset of nausea kicked in, "Okay."

With her gray skin, she already happened to look pale. She squinted as the bright lights in the airport blinded her. It was busy with people bustling around with their luggage and taking calls on their cell phones. Raven sighed when Robin lead the team to the never-ending line to check in their suitcases. Bumblebee had disappeared in the crowd much to Starfire's worry but Robin had stopped his girlfriend from wandering off in search of the teammate. And Beast boy had looked at her with worry etched on his face whenever he thought she wasn't looking back.

"Hey, just say something when you need to sit down." Beast boy said as Raven was nearly pressed up against him in the crowded line.

Her head rolled on her shoulders and soon rested on his short-sleeved shoulder. Raven hadn't even noticed when Beast boy stiffened beside her but it gave her some relief to her headache. He hesitantly wrapped his free hand around her waist to help steady her and slowly relaxed when she didn't snap at him. Raven's eyes rapidly blinked until she closed them; only walking when Beast boy carefully guided her.

"Raven," A hand gently shook her shoulder, "Wake up, you can sleep on the plane but take this first."

She turned her head away from the too loud voice only to be shaken again, "What?"

Bumblebee appeared in her vision with a strange expression on her face, "Robin has your medicine and did you eat the muffin from earlier?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Here's some water." Bumblebee handed over the half sized bottle, "Take it before we get on the flight."

Raven held the two white medicine tablets in the palm of her hand and her bottled water in the other. The room seemed to spin and Beast boy continued to keep her steady on her feet. Starfire left to use the restroom while Cyborg had wandered off to grab another quick bite. Beast boy stared out the large glass window with his arm casually resting behind her.

"We need to talk." It was a struggle for her to speak as her throat throbbed with each vocal movement. "Alone."

Beast boy nodded his head and lead her away from their two curious teammates, "Sure."

"I have my answer for you." Her eyes jumped to the people walking through the airport and anywhere but him.

When she didn't speak, he took it upon himself to get it out of her. "I just need an answer Raven, even if it's no."

She bit down on her lip and her forehead creased with wrinkles, "I'm willing to give you—us this chance."

"Really?" Beast boy broke out into a grin and Raven could feel his relief overflow into her. "This is great!"

Without any warning, his strong arms pulled her into a tight embrace. His chin rested on the top of her head and she couldn't see over his shoulder. A painful gasp left her sore throat and her arms worked to put space in between them. Her small blush was unnoticeable as her face was already flushed with her feverish temperature.

"But I want to take things slow." Raven added and finally stared Beast boy in his dark green eyes, "I don't want to chance anything with my powers."

He nodded his head and he couldn't fight the smile on his face, "Slow. Yeah I can do that."

Robin and Bumblebee both wore knowing smiles on their faces though neither titan said anything about their new-found relationship. Cyborg returned with a large cinnamon roll to share with his girlfriend and Starfire found them after explaining how she had gotten lost.

"So far our flight isn't delayed." Robin let his leg rest on his opposite knee, "Now let's hope the weather in Jump isn't ugly."

Beast boy made a strange sound in the back of his throat, "Dude, you probably just jinxed it."

Bumblebee shook her head and unzipped her carry-on bag, "Now don't tell me you believe in those old wives' tales."

The young man in question shrugged his shoulders, "So I've been around Jinx too long. So, what?"

It was true, as Raven recalled the pair had teamed up before Thanksgiving. Though she had soon realized early on the titans had been fiercely competing against one another during the holiday. It was subtle and it had been through baking much to Starfire's and Kid Flash's delight of being able to stuff their mouths as 'taste testers'. Although Beast boy didn't use eggs and most dairy products his treats were almost always sickly sweet.

Raven rolled the small pill between her index and thumb before she settled on finally taking it. She quickly popped the capsule into her mouth and tool a gulp of her water to wash it down. The unpleasant after taste had her longing for the blueberry muffin she ate earlier. The flight home wasn't terrible since they once again had first class seating but it wasn't comfortable as her ears popped. Though the drive from Jump City's airport back to the tower was an entirely different story.

She barely managed to push the important words past her lips, "Pull over."

Her words were easily drowned out by the holiday music on the radio with some of the titans singing along. A gray hand firmly clamped over her mouth as her stomach constricted and the temperature in the car had gradually become too hot. Her eyes fluttered closed as she waited for her plea to be answered.

"Cyborg." A red and brown eye glanced at Beast boy from the rear-view mirror, "Raven's going to be sick."

The half robot didn't look surprised and turned on his right blinker, "Hang in there."

Raven's eyes watered and her right hand desperately covered her first. The nausea was overwhelming and unfortunately it hit her all at once. She tried. She honestly tried to wait long enough for Cyborg to cross all the lanes on the freeway. Hacking sounds escaped her throat along with the small amount of food she had consumed not too long ago.

"Ack!" Beast boy blanched right beside her as Raven had spewed through her hands all over herself, the seat, and on his left pants leg. "Dude, gross."

Raven's stomach tightened once more and a dry gag left her mouth. The windows had been rolled down almost immediately by Robin while Bumblebee fumbled for paper towels in the console. It wasn't the first time that Cyborg had to pull the car over for her and sadly it wasn't the first she had thrown up _inside_ the car either. Starfire subtly turned her head towards the back window to breathe in the fresh ice cold air. Goosebumps raised up on her exposed arms but the air felt good with her feverish temperature.

"I'm sorry." Raven covered her nose and face with the many paper towels while Beast boy tried to clean off his pants. "I didn't mean—"

"Accidents happen." Beast boy assured her and shook his head at her apologies.

Cyborg sighed, "We'll get you both cleaned up. There's a gas station off the next exit."

"I'll shall bring you a new set of clothes." Starfire said and unlocked the door.

The stereo had been turned down until it only hummed out the Christmas songs. Bumblebee was in the middle of questioning Raven though she hardly responded. The overhead lights in the gas station had forced her to squint as it was blinding. Raven's eyes tried to follow her teammates after Cyborg parked beside a pump. Outside, it was empty save for the two cars parked in front of the store more likely belonging to the workers.

"I'll get a few plastic bags." Robin waited for Starfire to get out before he stepped out in the snow and headed towards the small store.

Soon Raven was the only one seated in the car while the other titans handled the situation. That was only the beginning as her friends coddled her which was highly unnecessary. Cyborg settled for filling up the tank while Bumblebee disposed of the collected trash. Starfire and Beast boy were outside in the cold trying to get to suitcases in the back. Raven leaned her head against the cool window and let her eyes droop again though it was short lived.

"Starfire has your shoes." Bumblebee poked her head in from the driver's door, "You're gonna have to step out so we can clean the back seats."

She shook her head but stopped as it hurt, "I can clean it up."

The rapping of knuckles on the window startled her and she sat up. Starfire crouched in front of the window and pointed to the neatly folded clothes in her arms. Raven stared out the windshield, it was sleeting so hard she could barely see out. It took several moments for her to gather the strength to open the door and get out. Bumblebee held her clean shoulders steady and Starfire helped Raven into her winter boots. Immediately she recoiled from the chill and her breath fogged in front of her face.

Cyborg reopened the trunk, "Don't worry 'bout it, Rae."

The three women stepped out of the way as Cyborg moved to clean his 'baby' after he had paid for the gas. Beast boy closed the trunk and Robin returned with a handful of black plastic bags and a purple box which contained vomit bags. Cleaning supplies were always left in the car after the first two incidents with Raven.

"You'll be able to dress yourself, right?" Bumblebee asked, her eyes trained on the small empath.

As sick as she was, she couldn't muster the feeling of embarrassment, "I'm perfectly capable of doing so."

The corner of Starfire's mouth pulled into a rare frown, "You cannot stand on your own and are helpless like a newborn child."

"Even though we're friends and that I'm sick there are still boundaries to respect." Raven explained, it seemed to work as Starfire didn't push the problem any further.

After Cyborg was sure the backseat was to his satisfaction and didn't reek of the stench he fitted the back seat with a cover. Though it was unfortunate he hadn't thought of the idea in advanced. Starfire and Bumblebee situated Raven in her seat once more and her clothes were handed to her. The gas station remained empty and all titans had their backs faced to the car in front of the windshield and driver's window to provide her some privacy.

Raven peeled off her clothes and the new chill in the car from the doors being opened settled on her. The nausea hadn't let up and the bumpy roads hadn't helped her condition. In nearly six minutes she had pulled her black sweatpants up on her waist and struggled to put on the long sleeve Starfire had picked out. Once finished she deposited her old clothes in the black bag Robin had brought back. She snapped her head up when the soft click of the car door opened and in slipped Beast boy.

His green eyes avoided hers and she could tell he was blushing due to the dark hue in his cheeks, "I um…need to change my pants."

It was her turn to look away from him in embarrassment, "I'm sorry."

"Mm," Beast boy sat on the edge of the seat with both of their backs facing one another, "I know."

It was quiet and Raven curled up in the blanket Starfire had fished out of her suitcase along with her clothes. Beast boy disposed of his soiled pants in the other black bag Robin had brought back with him. And the small box of vomit bags was placed in the back seat beside Raven to minimize any future incidents. As soon as all the titans were seated in the car Bumblebee turned the dial on to heat.

"Alright y'all we still have about an hour left on the road." Cyborg announced after starting up the car and maneuvering back onto the road.

The Christmas station had been changed to smooth jazz much to the relief of Cyborg. The soothing music had placed Raven in a trance like state but Robin was the first to fall asleep, resting him head in the crook of Starfire's neck.

"Is this…okay?" She carefully angled her body to rest against Beast boy with her head resting on his arm.

His low voice broke through the stillness of the car, "Thought you wanted to take things slow."

Raven's body stiffened before she leaned away from him, "I th—"

Beas boy's arm wrapped around her thin waist and gently brought her back to him, "It's fine, Rae."

The gentle rocking movement had finally woken her to find that Beast boy holding her in his arms. He had overridden the lock to her bedroom door and pulled back the heavy blankets on her bed and placed her down. Raven kicked off her winter boots and pulled the comforter tightly around her shoulders and let her head hit her pillow. She watched as Beast boy pulled away from her and moved her shoes near her closet door.

"Garfield?"

Beast boy turned around at the mention of his real name, "Yeah?"

"Does this make us a couple?"

She felt a surge of happiness from him at the thought, "You're still half sleep, get some rest okay?" He moved to make sure that thermostat in her room was on heat, "And we can discuss it tomorrow."

Raven's eyebrows knitted together as an emotion rose to the surface of her face. She nodded her head as the cloud of sleep continued to hang over her and jumble her thoughts.

"Okay."

"Goodnight Raven."

He flicked the light switch and her room was shrouded in darkness the way she preferred it. The sheets of her bedding were cold and her nose was so stuffy she had to breathe through her mouth. But the tiniest of smiles graced her lips at the thought of Beast boy as her boyfriend.

 **A/N: 3 more chapters to go including an Epilogue! Sorry everyone it's getting tough to be motivated especially with being very busy right now. I'm not completely satisfied with this chapter but it's out there.**

 **So Raven's emotion affection or love had taken over her in this chapter causing her strange out of character behavior. And the liquid changing in Beast boy's drink was the doing of her emoticlone. So it's a little similar of how Timid escaped in the episode called "Fear Itself" Along with her teammates' questioning her. I aslo thought to give her a weak immune system possibly something to do with her being half and half of a human and demon. It may not make sense now but I will revise and edit after all chapters are completed.**

 ***My deadline to complete this fic: New Year's Eve at 11:59pm before 2017.**


	10. Moonlight Encounters

Moonlight Encounters

It was late morning when Raven had woken up which was unusual from her daily routine. She was accustomed to waking before the sun had even risen and now it was nearing 9:30am. Half the morning had been practically slept away while she could have done something worthwhile. The process of making her bed, dressing, and washing up had taken longer than she cared for and left her more than exhausted. The night had been a rough one as her throat continued to ache and breathing though her mouth hadn't helped. Her nose had been runny until she was finally all stuffed up.

The walk to the Ops room from the bathroom was farther than she had originally thought. It was her stomach that had motivated her to continue onwards to her destination. At first her presence went unnoticed as all the other titans were caught up in their own activities. Robin was rinsing his own dishes in the sink and Cyborg was seated at the table eating breakfast. Starfire was too busy babying Silkie and had him wearing an ugly Christmas sweater from the year before. Bumblebee had rolled in her packed suitcase and was searching for something around the Ops room.

"Hey sleepin' beauty." Cyborg said after a mouthful of breakfast casserole and he scooped up another bite with his fork.

"Merry Christmas." Robin dried off the saucer he was holding and looked up to see the empath, "I didn't think we'd see you anytime soon."

Raven squinted her eyes as the bright light filtering in from the window was too much to take in, "Morning."

She soon felt a hand on her shoulder to help steady her as her head spun. Instead of being escorted to the kitchen, Raven was gently seated on the couch by the help of Beast boy. The back of his green hand pressed against her cheek and then her forehead before he pulled away from her.

"How are you feeling?" Beast boy sat beside her and she brought her sock covered feet up on the couch.

She turned he body and rested her cheek on the back of the black couch, "Worse."

It was quiet or as quiet as the Ops room could be. Robin turned the tap off to the faucet and placed the dishes to dry on the rack. Bumblebee had left the room and Starfire washed her hands after pampering the alien worm. And ever so slowly, the events from the day before made it to the front of her head. The accidental kiss at the art auction had her internally cringing until she remembered her shared talk with Beast boy in the airport. Raven opened her eyes to take in Beast boy's calm face and relaxed when his aura remained unchanged. Twelve hours had barely passed and Raven had a boyfriend.

"Think you can handle a little breakfast?" Cyborg rinsed his hands in the sink and pulled out a bed tray from the cabinet.

Raven shook her head; a small mug of tea should settle her hunger. "I was planning to make tea."

"Cy's already got it covered." Beast boy nodded his head in the direction of the kitchen where hot water was already sitting inside the coffee maker. "You just sit here and we'll take care of everything."

Without any warning, a heavy gray blanket with white polka-dots was placed over her from behind thanks to Bumblebee. The dark-skinned woman leaned over the couch with a gray thermometer in hand and prompted Raven to use it. She was temporarily bound from speaking at the device beeped consistently every few seconds. Starfire placed a pillow beside her wrapped in dark blue pillow case. The thermometer gave out a series of beeps and Raven stared at the numbers claiming that she was running a low fever.

"Just because I'm sick, it doesn't make me handicapped." Raven wanted to breathe a sigh but instead a coughing fit took over.

Beast boy's response was cut off from Cyborg with a wooden tray in hand. "Alright, we have oatmeal, a side of applesauce, hot throat tea with honey, and some plain crackers for the little lady."

The blue snowman mug that held her tea was placed on the coffee table within her reach. Cyborg carefully arranged the tray so that it was beside her and left himself to clean up the dishes. Raven shook her head at the undesirable attention and ducked her head to avoid the gaze from the rest of her teammates. The three titans spread across the room to create a comfortable environment for Raven. Starfire moved to close the long drapes in the picture window, Bumblebee significantly turned down the volume to the TV, and Beast boy dimmed the lights all while Raven glared at each of them in return.

"Thank you." She said it loud enough for all of them to hear and used the silver spoon to start on her applesauce.

Robin temporarily left the Ops room and the rest of the titans tried to keep their voices down. The cold applesauce was soothing to her irritated throat and Raven was immediately grateful that breakfast had been made for her. The colored lights on the Christmas tree blinked and reflected of the ornaments. All the presents remained neatly wrapped which wasn't too unusual in Titans tower. The opening of presents was usually delayed

"Alright Rob, we're headin' out." Cyborg folded his red coat over his arm and waited for his girlfriend to meet him at the door.

Raven lifted her head and her eyes searched for the digital clock underneath the plasma screen, "Isn't it a little early?"

"I'd like to get back in time for dinner." Cyborg said, "'Sides, Aqualad and them left last night."

Ah, so that's why the tower was relatively quiet. She had been asleep before her head hit the pillow and when Beast boy tucked her in bed. It would also explain some of the missing presents from underneath their large Christmas tree. Robin and Cyborg watched as the foggy events became clear to the empath as she realized Bumblebee had stayed an extra night.

"We'll see you at the New Year's Eve ball." A smile graced Bumblebee's lips, "So start getting better Raven."

Starfire, Robin, and Beast boy shared hugs with the dark-skinned woman before the couple headed out. In five short days, all titans would gather for the annual charity ball held by the mayor of Jump City. And each year, the titans remained a spectacle to be seen in public by fans which sent the media wild with false ideas that ended up in tabloids.

"Training in ten." Robin broke the silence that had blanketed the Ops room. He filled his green plastic bottle with filtered water from the tap. "Raven your dismissed from training for the time being."

She scooped up another spoonful of applesauce and nodded her head in agreement,

"What?" Beast boy was shocked at the sudden announcement, "Dude, it's Christmas and you want us to work out?"

Starfire's green eyes had slightly widened, "I agree with Beast boy. We should be spending the time with one another and taking care of our sick friend."

"We just got back from vacation." Robin defended himself and screwed on the black lid to his water bottle, "We shouldn't allow ourselves to become lazy."

"Don't be too hard on them." Raven said as best she could with her lost voice and irritated throat.

His mask covered eyes stared at her from in the kitchen, "I'll keep it short."

Starfire shook her head and set of in the direction of her room to change into her proper uniform. Starfire and Beast boy knew much better than to argue with Robin about training schedules, chores, and missions and expect to win. Robin left in the opposite direction and the Ops room doors hissed closed after him as he headed to the gym. The only one who remained was her green teammate.

Beast boy's shoulders slumped and his green ears drooped, "You gonna be okay in here by yourself?"

"Yes." She reached for her napkin on the tray and dabbed at her lips, "You should get going before Robin starts looking for you."

He ignored her and sat down beside his new girlfriend on the black couch. He didn't want to leave her behind in case she needed anything but she was right about Robin. And he was quite aware that Raven preferred to fend for herself and be left alone when she was sick like she was now. Beast boy sat there for several more minutes watching the endless commercials on the screen and Raven sipped on her hot tea. Beast boy turned and made sure that her blanket covered her whole body before he stood on his feet once more.

"Okay, I'm going." Beast boy pulled his black and yellow communicator out of his pocket and set it on the coffee table, "Call Starfire if you need us."

Raven swallowed her tea but Beast boy was already halfway across the Ops room. She allowed herself to completely relaxed as Beast boy's frenzied emotions had dulled the further he was away from her. She didn't have the strength to continuously shield herself from his strong caring emotions. The time passed ever so slowly, her breakfast tray was discarded on the coffee table with most of it uneaten due to feeling nauseous. She had changed the channel several times though she ended up falling asleep in the too quiet tower.

"…et me just check on Rae first." Beast boy said from outside the door that separated him from his girlfriend.

Robin walked in behind him, "Don't wake her if she's sleep."

"I fear that she may be the needing of us when we are absent." Starfire said as she walked with Robin in the direction of their respected bedrooms.

The leader shook his head and made sure Beast boy wouldn't bother Raven, "She'll be fine, Star. Raven knows how to take care of herself."

The not so quiet voices brought her to the brink of consciousness and she opened her eyes to see that the common room was still dark. Her breakfast tray had been moved from off the coffee counter and onto the yellow kitchen table. She stayed curled up on the couch with her cheek still pressed into the soft pillow that Starfire had given her. Robin and Starfire's voices carried on down the hallway that led to their rooms.

"Sorry, did we wake you?"

Raven stretched her body as Beast boy appeared from behind the couch. "It's okay."

He took a seat on the couch at the end of her feet and took a long drink of his water, "You should rest some more."

"I'm fine Beast boy." The words came out in a sigh as she watched him fret over her.

She hadn't been asleep long as only an hour and half had gone by and it was probably one of the shortest training sessions Robin had ever held. Her headache had disappeared and the TV was no longer of interest to her.

"Me and Star are heading up to the tailor to pick up my suit." Beast boy explained as he waited for the princess to return to the room, "You need anything while we're gone?"

Raven shook her head and assessed her well-being, "I'll go with you guys."

Beast boy screwed the cap back onto his water bottle, "I don't think that's such a great idea. It's cold out an—"

"And we don't want you worse off than you already are." Robin finished for him. He was dressed in a black peacoat and held car keys in his gloveless hands, "I need to run some errands and speak with the mayor."

Raven's eyes glared up at her leader as he walked down the three steps, "I'm not a child and I can make my own decisions."

"Never said you were." Robin automatically replied. He was already used to her arguments about her health and being cared for. "But going out in the weather isn't going to benefit you. We're already down a teammate on missions."

Raven sighed and didn't push the issue at hand any further. Robin was irritating, he always was when she ended up sick. Though it made her feel better to know that he was just as pushy to the others when they ended up sick.

"Can you tell Star to meet me in the garage, I'm going to grab my coat?" Beast boy stood up from his place beside her.

Raven pulled herself to sit up on the couch and made a note to grab one of her books from her room, "Fine."

"Sure you don't need anything?" Beast boy asked again, knowing that he was pushing her buttons.

"I'm sure."

Starfire emerged out of her room only ten minutes after Beast boy and Robin disappeared from the Ops room. The TV had been turned off and she was left silence save for her own thoughts. She relayed the information to her friend and Starfire hurried out to meet Beast boy. There was no doubt that Starfire would persuade the changeling to make a stop at the mall on the way back. Hours had passed slowly until all the titans were back in the tower once more. Cyborg had returned home first despite being the one to travel the farthest followed by Beast boy, Starfire and lastly Robin.

"Done already, Raven?" Cyborg nodded to her half-eaten plate that still contained her mashed potatoes and peas.

Raven scooted back her chair and stood up, "I'll just wrap it."

Starfire stood at the sink as it was her turn to take care of the dirty dishes. Beast boy began to store their left-over food into the fridge while Robin took care of the tables and counter. And Cyborg cleaned up the oven from where he had cooked their meal in the evening.

"This has to be the latest we've ever opened presents." Beast boy said as he tried to make room to fit the dish that held pork chops though Cyborg had been kind enough to make him a tofu substitute.

Raven nodded her head, they usually opened the gift underneath the tree first thing in the morning. However, that year was different due to Robin's unexpected getaway trip in a different country. And Titans East usually visited for two days being Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. After the kitchen and dining room was back in order the five titans headed to the common room and sat on the floor. It wasn't their most traditional Christmas they had spent with each other but time apart was refreshing as well.

"This one here is for Robin." Cyborg pulled out the box that was neatly wrapped in snowmen. "And this one for Beasty."

Starfire pulled out a red and white stripped box, "Please, do the opening of my gift first."

The gift was pushed onto Raven's lap with Starfire patiently waiting to capture the reaction on Raven's face. The night grew long and Robin had collected all the torn wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, and cardboard boxes to be disposed of. Beast boy had taken full interest in his new drawing set from Robin that the Christmas movie didn't capture a second of his attention. And Starfire was back to dressing Silkie up in different outfits given to her by Beast boy and Raven.

"I'm gonna hit the hay." Cyborg deposited the remote on the cushion and stood up, "The drive took a lot out of me. Night y'all."

Robin left the remote from where it fell, "I'm going to head to bed too. Early start tomorrow. Hope you guys enjoyed Christmas."

"I'm leaving too." Raven collected her book, pillow, and blanket and struggled to walk to her room. Her presents purposely left behind as she had to make more space in her room. "Goodnight."

"We wish you dreams full of sweetness and absent with the bugs that dwell in the beds." Starfire called and began to undress the alien worm as Silkie gnawed on the white material.

Beast boy smiled as he watched her retreating form, "Goodnight Raven."

It was the worst way anyone could wake up in the middle of the night. Her stomach felt as if it were trying to eat itself and Raven wished she would have eaten more of her dinner. It was clear the pain wouldn't die away until she nibbled on something. Gathering her robe and slippers she navigated the dark hallways of the tower to find a relief. Another hunger pain twisted in her stomach just as the door to the common room came in view. She was hit with bright flashing lights after she stepped in and squinted to see that the plasma screen had been left on.

A deep voice startled her, "You're up late."

Her eyes flitted about the dark room only lit by the large screen in the middle of the movie. Her pupils took time to adjust and at the end of the couch was a green changeling. She should have guessed it was him in the first place as old habits die hard. Beast boy was the only titan that stayed awake into the wee hours of the morning watching movies or trying to beat a score on the game system.

She hummed in agreement, "Just hungry."

Beast boy's eyes followed her as Raven made her way to the center island of the kitchen. She hesitated before pulling open the fridge to see what was available though nothing seemed quite satisfying to eat. She then moved onto the pantry and the cabinets while Beast boy turned back to what he was doing.

"I can make you some soup if you like."

The offer was sweet but she didn't need assistance, "Thanks but I'll stick to the applesauce from earlier."

She fumbled around in the kitchen for a spoon and a plastic cup to pour in the extra serving that Cyborg had made for her. In several ways, the coldness of it would help her throat and her feverish temperature. Beast boy removed his feet of the couch and sat up when he realized that Raven was making her way to join him.

"I was thinking," Beast boy's green eyes wandered away from the beauty but continued when she didn't intervene, "That maybe we could go on a real date."

Raven was quiet for so long that he had thought she had fallen asleep, "A date. Alone?"

Beast boy carefully watched her stoic face, "If you're uncomfortable with the idea we don't ha—"

"Where to?" Raven cut him off from his rambling interested in his suggestion. She raised the silver spoon to her lips and enjoyed the taste.

Her soft lavender eyes stared him down as she turned the idea over in her head and Beast boy showed several signs of being nervous. Though he struggled to hide it from her which he knew was impossible.

"Maybe when you're feeling better we could go sledding or something and get hot chocolate afterwards?" After he had said it aloud it automatically sounded worse. What were they, nine?

She nodded her head before she voiced her agreement, "On the 27th then."

"Meet you in the Ops room at 11:00am?"

"Mhm."

In all his excitement, a smile appeared on Beast boy's face accompanied with the look of accomplishment. The growing enthusiasm had its effect on Raven and soon she was attempting to fight down a tiny smile of her own.

"So, we really are a couple now?" A hazy memory from the night before made it to the front of her mind. He said that they would talk about it soon.

"That's only if you want to be." Beast boy nodded his head to confirm her question, "Know that I'm not forcing you to do anything, Rae."

She was quiet as she thought over her answer to his response, "Do you think this will work for the both of us?"

"We won't know for sure, but isn't it worth the try?" Anxiety slowly began to well inside of him as Raven continued to voice her uncertainties.

Raven placed her blue empty cup on the coffee table and turned back to face him, "I suppose it's worthwhile. And Beast boy?"

"Yeah?"

"Why sledding?" Her lavender eyes seemed to glow from the light of the TV as she lightly teased him about their date choice.

 **A/N: A deadline is a deadline. Chapter 11 and 12 will be coming tonight or tomorrow night. I work faster with deadlines because I procrastinate to the last minute every time :-/ But hey, at least it gets done.**

 **After this I'll be picking up Soulbound as my first priority and Trying to Catch the Sun as my second priority. Edits and revisions to the whole fic will be made at the very end.**


	11. Tears in My Teacup

Tears in my Teacup

Only ten minutes until it would be 11:00am signaling the beginning of her first date. Raven couldn't stop herself from watching the glowing red numbers on the digital clock. Robin was hidden away in the evidence room filling out much needed paperwork. The last she had seen Starfire, she was on three-way call with Kole and Jinx. She was seated at the kitchen table with a book in her hand dressed in heavier snow gear complete with gloves and a scarf Robin had insisted she wear.

"You seem tense." Cyborg said as he fiddled with the thermostat on the wall to turn the heat up.

Raven shrugged her shoulders and dodged the question, "Robin won't enjoy the gas bill this month."

"I don't want to freeze my tail off."

Her eyes drifted back to the soft cover book in her hand as the two titans fell back into a comfortable silence. She fought the urge to look at the clock again and forced herself to read the last two paragraphs on the page. The sound of TV added to her distraction until she was tapping her shoe on the tiled floor. She whipped her head around as soon as she heard the hissing of the Ops room door sliding open.

"Didn't mean to keep you waiting, Raven." Beast boy crossed the room and met her in the kitchen. "Had to get the sled down."

Raven closed her book and stood up, "So you're ready then?"

"Just a sec." Beast boy turned until he found Cyborg monitoring several cameras, "Mind if we take the T-car?"

Cyborg didn't bother to look up from what he was doing, "If I see so much as a scratch on her, I'll wring your neck."

"Thanks." Beast boy smiled and left to grab the correct car key of the hook beside the fridge. "Let's go."

Raven caught up to him and before stepping out of the common room there was only five more minutes till 11:00am. Surprisingly, Starfire had controlled herself and didn't overdress the empath in pointless attire which was much appreciated. Robin hadn't argued with her too much and Cyborg had personally spoke to Beast boy about treating her well without Raven's knowledge. Raven pressed the down button to the elevator and the doors opened to allow the two entrance.

"After you." Beast boy dramatically gestured towards her, half bowed and arms out.

The ride to the garage was short and the items on the gray shelves were jostled. It was clear that the sled had been buried underneath Halloween boxes and surrounded by their summer storage which included the pool lounge chairs and volleyball net. The plastic orange sled sat on the ground of the garage and Beast boy pressed the control to unlock the car.

"You know you could've asked for help, right?" Raven continued to stare at the organized mess he had created.

He gave her a sheepish shrug and picked up the two seater sled and stored it neatly in the trunk, "I didn't want you to use your powers."

"My powers are fine." Raven coughed several times before she continued, "You worry too much."

Though he did have a valid reason to be concerned for her. It was rare when her powers would weaken or completely die out due to the state of her illness. Although rare, it had happened no more than three times and the first Beast boy had utterly been convinced that she was going to die despite her stable labs. He guided her to the side of the car and opened the passenger door for her.

"Don't you want a change of shoes?"

Raven averted her eyes to her black and white snow boots, "It's only for a couple of hours. I'm sure I can survive until then."

Beast boy gently closed her door and sat himself in the driver's seat and adjusted his mirrors. "To the slopes. I'll show you what you've been missing out on."

The snow outside was light but steady and Raven was grateful that Cyborg had chained the tires on his car. The traffic grew heavier the closer they drove to the slopes but time wasn't an issue. Music from the radio filled the empty silences that sometimes lapsed between the two and the heater was turned on low.

"It's crowded." Raven stared out the window as Beast boy focused on the road ahead.

"Could've been worse."

All Raven could see were the tall ever green trees and the white snow everywhere. Innertubes and sleds were piled at the bottom of a slope that had been crafted into eight lanes. The sun brightly reflected off the snow though there wasn't enough sunshine to feel warm in the slightest. She tapped her fingers on the console between them, once again lost in her thoughts she didn't realized they had parked until Beast boy closed his door. She reached for the handle of her own door and met him at the back of the trunk as he withdrew the orange sled.

"I can carry this." Beast boy locked the car with a click of a button and tucked it into the inside of his coat pocket for safe keeping. "Those are the kiddie slopes over there."

Raven followed the direction of his finger, "Then where are we going?"

"Higher up." Beast boy walked beside her in the direction of where younger kids and their parents were playing, "Me and Cyborg race down the slopes every year but you always stay back at the tower."

"Is that safe?"

"We get more injuries in battle." Beast boy shrugged his shoulders, "Did it snow in Azarath?"

"It does." Raven sniffled and wiped at her nose with the white hanker chief she stored in her pocket, "Though I was hardly allowed out."

The continued to trudge uphill in the snow though Raven walked behind her boyfriend and stepped in footsteps to make it easier. They walked through trees and a group of younger teens raced passed the couple.

"Beast boy?"

"I'd prefer it if you called me by my real name." He said, "If you called me Garfield."

"Right. Garfield," She watched as he set the sled down and motioned for her to sit in the front. "And you're sure this is safe?"

"If you're so worried we can do something else." Beast boy hurriedly tried to amend the issue.

"Just making sure is all." It was different from the water slides for sure but there was no reason to panic. She wasn't scared of snow.

Her glove covered hands held onto the plastic handles on either side. Three-foot-high walls of snow were built up to form a much-used pathway complete with turns. The evergreen trees still held snow on their branches and it was cold enough to see her own breath fog in front of her. Beast boy was soon seated behind her but his feet dangled over the edge and he used his hands to push off.

"Lean with the curves."

The start off was slow but they speed picked up quickly until she could feel the wind blowing in her face. Her back was pressed up against his chest and she momentarily closed her eyes only to open them as they leaned with the turn.

"Whoo!" Beast boy threw his head back and laughed, "Not so bad, right?"

Her stomach did a combination of somersaults and flips when she realized just how steep the slope was. "Exhilarating for sure."

It was in a matter of seconds when the white snow leveled out and the speed of the sled began to slow down. Several teenagers close to their age tried to start up a snowball fight full of playful screaming and laughter. Raven couldn't even remember the last time she had joined her friends to play out in the cold weather. It wasn't the date she had quite in mind but she did favor that it wasn't a typical dinner and a movie scenario that she had witnessed in movies.

"Need a hand?" Beast boy had easily stood up after making sure Raven was sitting up on her own and extended his palm out to her.

"Thanks."

Their normal conversation had lapsed into awkwardness as they both struggled to fill the silence. Instead their boots crunched through the snow while the sled scraped against the ice. She subconsciously picked at her fingernails underneath her purple gloves and searched her mind for something she could say. A shrill scream rang out and Raven turned her head immediately but there was no threat in sight.

"…ave your autograph?"

Raven's eyebrows scrunched together as she watched the scene before her. It wasn't the first time they had been bombarded by fans and citizens alike. It mostly happened when the whole team was present in public in their uniforms although Robin and Starfire had quite a few incidents themselves. Raven herself could have just barely passed for a regular human if it wasn't for her lavender hair and pale like gray skin. For Beast boy on the other hand, it was nearly impossible for him to blend in anywhere even in animal form. Kids, preteens and several older teenagers fought for the changeling's attention.

"This isn't a cosplay, right?" The young woman in question hardly wore snow appropriate attire as she interrogated Beast boy.

"Uh, no." Beast boy scratched the back of his neck and became aware of the orange sled in this right hand. Giggles erupted from most of the girls that surrounded him which caused the tip of his ears to turn red.

An unexpected elbow jabbed Raven's side and had her stumbled back. She sent a nasty glare to the middle school aged girl. "Your fangs look so real."

A decent sized crowd had formed around the sixteen-year-old titan. Raven looked on from several feet away and shook her head as some of the girls that were older than her tried to coax Beast boy into staying with them. It was pathetic and it was destined that such bad luck was past due for her.

"Don't you want to play with us? My name's Kelsey." The tall girl jumped a few times and Beast boy took a few steps backwards in response. "We can have a snow ball fight and then make snow caves and…"

Beast boy shook his head and his eyes searched for his girlfriend, "Look now isn—"

Kelsey hopped a few times and tried pulling on his arm to get him to walk, "Please?"

Raven grimaced from the swirl of emotions that had her head swimming and her stomach turning. Raw excitement, wonder, and the feeling of being pressured hit her full force which was almost crippling as her barriers were down.

"I'm not here to hang…" Beast boy allowed the sentence to go unfinished since it sounded too harsh, "I just…I'm with someone else alright?"

By the looks of it, all of Beast boy's protest were ignored and the jumble of voices around him meshed together. Small hands grabbed at his own and tugged on his winter coat as a few teenaged girls persuaded him to stay. Raven's face remained like stone as she watched Beast boy give into his fans and she instinctively turned on her heel to avoid it all. Her mind wandered back to their cruise as she made her way back to the parking lot. They had only been out for less than forty minutes and that had to have been a record for the shortest date. She patted her jeans pockets and searched for the car key until she remembered Beast boy still had it.

"This was a stupid idea." She closed her eyes and gathered strength to teleport herself. "

Going back to the tower would have been worse as Starfire would ask endless questions in why she returned so early. Not only that but it would send off red flags to Robin and Cyborg alike as well as the news to Bumblebee that the date didn't work out.

Raven sat at a secluded table in her favorite café lost in her sea of thoughts. There was more traditional take at Daily Grind Tearoom than at the other tea shops she had sometimes visited. A small white bookshelf was neatly filled with books containing quite a few genres that had once captured her attention. There was a large floor too sealing window and chandeliers emitted a soft yellow glow throughout the interior of the building. Even from her small table she could see the dark looming clouds and the snow flurries that twirled carelessly in the crisp air. Her gray fingers still stung from the cold which temporarily turned them red and caused her nose to run.

"Same thing as always?"

Raven lifted her head to find a familiar barista named Cheyenne smiling down at her. Her exact order in how she preferred her tea had been memorized by most from her frequent visits.

"Um, Actually," Raven sat up straighter in her chair and struggled to focus on the question at hand, "I think I'll have hot chocolate."

"Mm, that's different." Cheyenne's brown eyes widened in slight surprise at the change up, "Anyway, how do you like your hot chocolate?"

It was Raven's turn to scrutinized the teenager's expression for any joking, "There's different ways?"

"Yeah." Cheyenne nodded her head in confirmation and rested a hand on her hip, "There's peppermint, lemongrass-lavender, gingerbread, snowman sup, vegan ch—"

Raven held up her hand to silence her, "Just regular hot chocolate please."

"On it."

Cheyenne smiled once more before turning on her heel with a little more happiness in her step. The mention of vegan hot chocolate felt like her heart had dropped into her stomach. The seat directly across from her wasn't supposed to be empty and the feeling of disappointment was supposed to be nonexistent. One thing she knew for sure was that it wasn't Beast boy's fault, unfortunately life had its way at messing with her. She had spent most of their vacation avoiding him only to have the tables turned on her even if it wasn't intentional.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Cheyenne returned with a white mug with steaming rolling out the top of it, "You don't seem yourself today."

She allowed her hand to rest of the handle of the mug, "I'd rather not discuss it."

A trip to the bookstore wasn't even enough to brighten her spirits. Due to the weather, it was a much slower day which meant that it was practically empty inside the store. The warmth from the vents had calmed her as she had settled into a black leather chair with a hardback book in her hands. Around her, associates restocked items and chatted with another.

If only she had been more extroverted she might have given herself the opportunity to enjoy herself. She might have enjoyed sharing Beast boy's time with the other citizens. If she didn't come off as dark and cold people wouldn't feel the need to distance themselves. But those were only if's and it seemed inevitable that she would always be that way.

"Lose track of time?" Nathan asked as he restocked a selection of sci-fi books near her. "You're the only one I know who would _want_ to be locked in a bookstore overnight."

He had noted her expression from when she saw how dark it had gotten, "It's not often that I do."

"We don't close until 9:00pm." Nathan situated himself on the floor with his back angled away from her, "You come her so much, you should know that."

Raven was such a regular customer to the bookstore that she was also well known and on first name basis with the other associates. The dark skinned high schooler was always talkative to the point where his managers had to separate him from distracting other associates.

"I know." Raven stood up from her seat and replaced the thick hard cover book from where she had originally gotten it from. "I do need to be on my way."

"Sure thing." Nathan turned to smile at her with his white crooked teeth, "See you later."

She nodded her head once, "Have a good night."

The cold air from outside had her stuffy nose running once again. Her breath fogged in front of her face and she headed to the direction of the tower. It was when she passed the familiar pizza parlor that she decided to fly the rest of the way home. Entering through the main doors wasn't an option as she didn't want to be questioned by all her teammates on her disappearance. Instead, Raven opened a black portal through her window from the outside and slipped into the dark room. With a simple wave of her hand, candles flickered to life and shadows began to dance against the walls and floor.

It didn't take her long to change into the black and white satin pajamas Starfire had given her two months earlier. Her indigo cloak was draped over her shoulders with the hood down. She faced her door and debated on sneaking to the laundry room to deposit her worn clothes. The contrast of a white envelope stood out on the dark gray carpet which had caught her eye.

"He left a note?" Though it was a question, it sounded more like a statement. She walked over and delicately picked up the thin envelope that was addressed to her in slanted letters.

Beast boy on the other hand was tense and on high alert. He had been aware of Raven's arrival with the help of his ultra-sensitive hearing.

"I am sure that Raven will understand the explanation that you have shared with us." Starfire sat at the center island in the kitchen with her hands resting on the yellow countertop, "For I do not believe it was entirely your fault."

He felt sick to his stomach with the thought of having to face his girlfriend. Or if she still wanted to pursue a relationship with him. His hand clenched the red pillow on his lap and another bout of nerves rocked through him.

"Thanks, Star." He managed to get the words out but his thoughts were chaotic.

"Communicate. If you talk to her you can solve the problem." Robin had noticeably turned down the volume to the TV. "You're working yourself up over nothing, Beast boy."

"What if she hurts me or ignores me?" It wasn't quite farfetched fear. In the past, Raven had never intentionally harmed the shape shifter although she was very capable of doing so. If anything, she always bluffed or threw around empty threats and at the very least if she did follow through she made it as painless as possible to get her point across. "I mean what if she tosses me into the ocean?"

"Give her some credit man." Cyborg stopped the hum of the microwave before it started to beep, "She probably didn't know how to react to the situation she was thrown into. 'sides it's not the first time she threw you in the ocean."

Starfire, Robin and Cyborg shared a look with each other due to Beast boy's outburst.

"I will gladly deliver the meal to Raven." Starfire stood up to collect the plate from Cyborg along with the glass of water. "Beast boy, you should come along as well."

Beast boy stood up and crossed the small space to the kitchen, "I don't thi—"

Cyborg clapped him on the back, "Go with her, man."

He held back a groan and Starfire floated in the direction of the west wing. Beast boy was lost in his thoughts and his nerves didn't make the situation any easier. Starfire hummed a lighthearted tune and faster than he liked they bypassed his room and stood in front of Raven's.

"Do not be fearful," Starfire smiled and encouraged him to knock.

He raised a steady hand to deliver three knocks to the steel door. It was silent on the other end and he debated knocking again but before he could the door slid halfway open. Raven's lavender eyes stared at Starfire before turning to him. She must have sensed them both from her lack of surprise.

"We have already partaken in the eating of the last meal." Starfire held out the still warm dinner plate and clear glass of water, "Cyborg has saved you dinner."

Raven gratefully accepted the plate before her and the water, "Thank you, Starfire. Please thank Cyborg for me as well."

"Of course," Starfire took a step back and smiled at Beast boy before heading back into the Ops room.

Raven turned away to place her dinner on her small mahogany table, "Was there something you needed?"

"About earlier today, I'm sorry." Beast boy stared over the top of her head and could see two masks hung on her wall, "I would like to make it up to you."

She shook her head and some of her hair fell over her shoulder, "You don't have to worry about it, Garfield."

There it was again, she said his first name aloud. Beast boy studied her eyes until she stared at her shoeless feet as her facial expression didn't give anything away. Her hand moved to the gray door and waited for him to say something.

"I mean, I didn't mean for any of that to happen." Beast boy's fingers curled and uncurled into a fist as his words twisted and didn't come out correctly like it sounded in his head.

"You have nothing to apologize for. You should let it go." Raven craned her head to look up at him but he looked past her and she could tell he was still bothered, "I need to meditate. Goodnight, Beast boy."

He nodded his head once, "I understand. Night, Raven."

Beast boy watched as she slid the rest of the door closed and replayed their whole conversation in his head. He couldn't detect any emotion from her not even from her eyes which told him the most about her. The thought of returning to the common room was displeasing. His friends would give Beast bot their unsolicited advice and he wanted to be alone anyways. His room was only several yards away from her in the same hallway and all he could do was collapse on bottom of his disheveled bunkbed.

Raven sat on the edge of her bed with a sheet of blue paper in her hands. She had only taken once bite out her mixed vegetables and was pleased to discover Starfire hadn't helped in the kitchen. Her hands folded and creased the paper until it grew smaller and gained a new shape. Soon in her palm she held a tiny origami elephant, she had learned how to make the shape from Thunder. She had drawn a face on the elephant with a black pen and sent it hurling into a black portal to end up in her boyfriend's room. It wasn't much but Beast boy had expressed interest in the craft months before when Raven was getting to know the honorary titan better.

"Are you done painting your face?" Raven was seated on the edge of Starfire's bed and watched Starfire in the mirror.

Starfire's hand remained steady as she applied her eyeshadow, "I can assure you that we will not be late."

Only five days had passed since the couple's failed date and the awkwardness dissipated along with it. Raven herself was situated in a ball gown that hugged her small figure and fell to her ankles. Her hair had been carefully pinned up by Starfire with bobby pins but allowed some of her hair to frame her face. Two long hours they had been trapped in the light pink room preparing for the charity event. And for two long hours none if the guys in the tower had bothered to check in or disturb either of them. Raven allowed her eyes to close as she waited for Starfire to finish in front of the mirror.

"Whatchu so nervous for, B?" Cyborg straightened his black bow tie and Robin heavily leaned up on the counter with a glass of water in his hand.

Beast boy sat on the arm of the couch tugging at his sleeve cuff, "It's _her_. What's not to be nervous about, dude?"

"Your overthinking it." Robin said, "If your stressed tonight then she will be too."

Beast boy pulled at his ear and searched for the digital clock, "When are we leaving?"

"In ten," Cyborg said and made his way out the common room. "I'll grab the girls."

Beast boy visible tensed up and watched the back of his best friend retreat. Robin shook his head, it was clear that he wouldn't be able to calm down the changeling. Beast boy would be more high strung than normal especially after their awful date he had taken full responsibility for. Silence fell between the two of them and Beast boy continued to fidget and straighten his suit while Robin helplessly watched. The sound of Starfire talking Cyborg's ear off was muffled until the doors slid open and revealed the three titans. Raven lingered by the door and Beast boy made his way over to her.

"Wow, you look…stunning." His eyes took Raven's appearance and his senses were overloaded with her sweet scent that smelled like peaches.

A shy expression crossed her features while Raven tried to ignore the smiles and light laughter from her friends, "Thanks. You look good yourself."

"Heh." Beast boy inclined his head to the rest of their teammates halfway out the door. "Well c'mon, we're the last ones out."

He offered his gloveless green hand to her and after making sure her emotions were in check, she accepted. It was almost impossible to ignore how his large hand enveloped hers but she enjoyed the warmth all the same. Starfire was permitted to sit up front with Cyborg under the conditions that she didn't touch any buttons other than the window and radio. Raven herself was sandwiched between Robin and Beast boy in the backseat with the only excuse being that she was the smallest in size.

"You have the directions?" Robin leaned forward and rested his hands on the back of Starfire's seat. "It should only be about a forty-five-minute drive from here."

Cyborg shook his head as he carefully maneuvered the car out of the garage, "Don't need 'em. Upgraded my baby with a built-in GPS."

"Too bad Bumblebee has to fight for his attention over a car." Beast boy had quietly laughed into her ear which left a ghost of a smile on Raven's face.

"I'm sure you must be very proud." The usual sarcasm in her voice wasn't as menacing with a scratchy throat which had her coughing into her arm.

Cyborg's eye narrowed and stared at the whispering couple in the backseat, "Whatever it is you two are laughing about; knock it off."

It was Robin's turn to shake his head and lean back against his seat and listen to his friends playfully bicker with one another. The passing streetlights flashed in the interior of the car which allowed Raven to glimpse the expressions of some of her teammates. The downside of winter was the shorter days and the lack of sunlight. And just like Robin had estimated, the drive to the banquet hall was even longer with having to fight through the traffic.

The building was larger than Raven had been expecting it to be. White snow caked the top of the roof, tree branches and bushes a like while the parking lot and walkways had been cleared. Lights were placed all around the building which helped in lighting up the walkways and it was safe to say that many other guests were still arriving. The walk from the parking lot to the front entrance was quick and Raven could see quite a lot of familiar faces through the glass doors. Cyborg held open the door for his team to file in only to come face to face with his girlfriend seconds afterwards.

"Y'all show up late and you live the closest." Bumblebee had her hands crossed over her chest as she gave the five titans a disapproving look.

Raven was unaffected by the sharp glare, "Blame Starfire."

The tall titan was already busy catching up with Red Star and Pantha all the while tugging Robin along with her. Raven caught a glimpse of Jinx and Argent emerging from the bathroom with their arms linked together. The lobby was filled with most titans from around the globe while other guests were sprinkled around coming and going. A set of doors were propped open to reveal a dark room with disco and laser lights bouncing off the floors. The music was unbelievably loud, the DJ up on stage played the year's hit songs mixed in with select favorites. Eventually, they all made it into the dark room to get a full view of the snack tables and line of metal chairs against the wall.

"So, what's the deal with this place anyways?" Kid Flash asked through a handful of pizza bites and reached for a plastic cup of ice water, "Not that I don't like dancing or anything."

Jinx rolled her eyes and was clearly unimpressed with her boyfriend, "Seriously? I have explained this to you twice."

"Who said I was listening?" Kid Flash stared right back at her while they stood in a small group which consisted of Raven, Beast boy and Argent. The three brace themselves for what would happen next.

An argument broke out between the couple with Jinx becoming more irritated by the minute. Raven lightly brushed passed Jinx and firmly sat down on the brown metal chair furthest away from the DJ. The high-strung emotions didn't make it easier though she only had to survive for four hours.

"He's such a hard case." Argent shook her head and dropped her folded arms, "Don't be a stick in the mud mate."

The New Zealander turned her attention to Raven who had didn't reply. Jinx was slightly flushed and had briskly walked away from her boyfriend in search of Kole. Argent brushed her short hair behind her ear and eyed Raven before searching where Jinx had run off to.

Raven had noticed the teenager was waited for some type of permission, "I don't care if you go."

"Are you sure?" Argent pressed but a simple nod of Raven's head had her hurrying through the thick crowd of dancing couples and groups of guests.

"You really did it now." Beast boy took his seat beside Raven on an empty chair while Kid Flash brushed the crumbs off his mouth.

His striking blue eyes glinted off the moving lights, "I just asked a question. She can't resist my charm anyways."

Without any further comments, Kid Flash found himself back at the snack table with a second round of water and stuffed his face with all sorts of treats. The music was so loud that people nearly had to shout to hear each other and the vibrations from the speakers rumbled through their chest the closer they drew to the stage. Groups of titans had formed and intermingled with ordinary citizens that had opted attend the ball. Argent, Jinx, Kole, Kilowatt, Jericho and Thunder had formed a circle with all of them dancing and some singing to the lyrics. Raven kept her arms folded over her chest, her eyes had glazed over and she had fallen into a day dreaming state.

"Would you like to dance?" Beast boy had turned towards her after what might have been fifteen minutes of him quietly contemplating, "I mean—I know it's not your thing and all."

Raven noticed how his eyes avoided hers at all costs, "If you don't do anything…surprising."

"Deal." Beast boy hurriedly stood up and had Raven on her feet just as fast.

It was an effort to wade through the crowd of other guests to reach the nearly full dance floor. Beast boy had made sure they were in the corner of the dance floor to Raven's liking as they were more secluded. Her arms gently rested around his shoulders, the mere action had her remembering the similar incident back on the cruise when everything had gone horribly wrong. She attempted to balance her conversation with him and chanting her mantra in the back of her head simultaneously.

"Are you sure you're okay with this, Rae?" Beast boy's gazed into her thoughtful eyes, "I know the last time we did this, it was a disaster."

She peeked over his shoulder as they swayed to the slow song that had begun, "It's Raven."

"Are you always going to say that?"

She looked at him without a trace of humor, "Are you always going to call me that?"

Beast boy shrugged his shoulders as they took small steps in circles, "Should've know you'd say that."

They continued to sway to the slow song and Raven could see a nearby couple in a more intimate embrace. Her effort to keep things under control was a success and she had managed to engage in light conversation with him. All too soon the song faded away and brought in a more upbeat tune which was when the couple broke away. The rest of the night was balanced with sitting in the hard chairs, talking to older couples, and dancing with their friends. Though on Raven's part she stood there in the large group circle feeling out of place while Jinx tried to get her to at least try to dance.

"I'm going to get something to drink." Beast boy moved his arm to her shoulders, "Can I get you anything?"

"No thanks." It felt as if someone was taking a hammer to her skull with all the hyped emptions. "I'm going to step out for a bit."

Raven slipped out of his arms and waited for his response, "Just call if you need me."

"I will."

She had a difficult time crossing the room and slipping out into the foyer as people didn't mind where they walked or who they walked into. Out of the corner of her eyes she caught a glimpse of Lightening and Wondergirl speaking to an older couple off to the side. A group of five young women were busy staring at a flip phone and teasing one another while they were seated on the dark green couch. Raven shook her head and pushed open the glass door in search of solitude.

It was cold and she could see the short icicles that had never melted away from earlier in the day. She crossed her arms over her chest, she wouldn't be able to stay out long as she hadn't brought a jacket to begin with. The sky was starless as the two-day storm continued to pass through Jump City. Raven walked around the large building once until fatigue overcame her quickly. Too exhausted to complete the second walk around to the front entrance she found a hallway door that remained unlocked. The warmth defrosted her cold pink cheeks but the lights in that hallway were off but she didn't care. She slid down the white brick wall and tucked her legs underneath her but she didn't know how long she sat there.

"…aven't seen her since I got here."

She could hear two clear voices from the dark hallway and the shuffling of feet in her direction. She missed the freezing air that once nipped at her face that was now flushed.

"She said she would be outside, dude." Beast boy stopped in his tracks as he depicted a shadowy figure in a side hall. "Raven?"

"Mm," The response was dull as Raven had her head resting on the wall behind her.

Aqualad took it as his cue to give them privacy and backtracked the way they came, "I'll catch you later."

"Hey," Beast boy crouched down beside her to assess her state of being, "I told you to call me if you needed anything."

Her eyes were closed as a cloud of nausea hung over her, "Starfire left our communicators at home."

"Sensitive hearing." Beast boy wiggled his green ears for emphasis. He rested the back of his hand on her forehead followed by his cheek taking the place of his hand. "You're a little feverish. Maybe we should get you home."

Raven's eyes opened to see his concerned face, "No, I'll be okay Garfield."

"The countdown is getting close." He remained in his crouched position, "Did you still want to sit out here?"

"Let's celebrate with the others." Raven clenched her jaw hard as her stomach sloshed around but got to her feet on her own. "I'm sure Cyborg is wondering where you are."

Beast boy shook his head, "He's too caught up with Bee to notice."

It was easy to find their way back to the large ball room as the loud music was a dead giveaway. The noise makers, whistles, and party poppers was a bonus. Beast boy led the way through the dancing crowd and groups of people that preferred talking all the while being jostled but kept his hold on his girlfriend's hand. He reached an empty table and withdrew the metal chair for Raven to sit down and he was quick to pour her a fresh glass of water.

"Noise maker?" Raven handed Beast boy the abandoned hand held instrument and took a second one for herself.

Beast boy sat down in the chair beside her, "Being out in the weather wasn't such a good idea, huh?"

Raven allowed her hair to fall over her shoulder and rested her cheek in her hand as she felt the energy leave her body. Their failed date wasn't one that she wanted to remember and chose not to answer his question. The projected clock on the ceiling drew closer to the new year and people chanted along with countdown and the noise level reached its maximum. Glasses and dinner plates suffered from thin cracks from the empath as the emotions were also intensified.

"TEN"

"NINE"

"EIGHT"

"SEVEN"

Beast boy looked at a loss of what to do as Raven looked more ill by the second. Overthinking; he was doing just as Robin had pointed out before they had left the tower hours before. The others hadn't been stressing as much as he had been the past week, Raven wasn't worried about her own health. He shook his head and watched as she struggled to show him a fragment of an emotion that she was enjoying herself on some level.

"SIX"

"FIVE"

"FOUR"

Raven dropped the arm she had been using to rest her head on and sat up straighter in her chair. She brushed back the lavender strands of her hair behind her ear and smiled though she was more than sure it came out as a grimace. Her eyes fell upon the large netting high up in the ceiling that held a countless number of black, white, and gray balloons.

"THREE"

"TWO"

"ONE"

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Raven could hardly keep track of all the things that happened in the moments afterwards. The white netting broke loose and the balloons floated freely to the crowd of guest below. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Robin and Starfire sharing kiss. Cyborg and Bumblebee were in an intimate embrace with one another that made her feel as if she were prying. Jericho and Kole obnoxiously blew noise makers in each other's faces while younger couples shared their own first kiss of the new year. Beast boy slung a gentle arm around her and pulled Raven into a brief hug that left both shy despite the few kisses they had already shared. Though she was quite pleased that they would be taking slower steps from there on out with their newfound relationship.

"I'll be right back, Rae." Beast boy left before she could form a reply to him.

It wasn't too long until her boyfriend reappeared but this time with a dark green bottle in his hand a pair of clean glasses. Raven caught the glimpse of the name Apple Cider as Beast boy flipped off the white cap. He filled each glass halfway before taking his seat beside her once more and held his glass up in one hand and waited for her to do the same.

"I have a toast."

Raven rolled her eyes and the sarcasm leaked out before she could stop it, "I never would have guessed."

"Aw don't be like that, Rae." Beast boy kept hold of the clear glass and leaned closer so that she could hear him through all the ruckus. "Here's to a new year and a good relationship to follow. Cheers."

Raven clinked her glass to his, "Cheers."

It was tempting to take a sip of the sparkling apple cider though the fizz would be too rough on her throat. She settled for her glass of water instead and allowed Beast boy to drink her apple cider as well. It wasn't until much later when the fluorescent ceiling lights had been switched on and people still lingered around in friendly conversations. It was nearing 1:00am when Robin gathered each of them in turn with Starfire and Cyborg each holding a cake they had won from a silent auction. The first few steps outside were blinding as people dressed in black waited near the doors and stalked famous citizens around.

"Don't they have anything better to do?" Raven griped as their lives were always being pried into.

It was aggravating but Robin had made a point years earlier to draw closer to the citizens though the paparazzi wasn't what he had in mind. Blinding cameras continuously flashed while Beast boy and Raven tried to downplay their attraction towards one another. She walked slightly ahead of him as Robin led the way to the T-car and Beast boy had dropped her hand the second they stepped outside. They were just superheroes—like a firefighter or policeman— they shouldn't have been treated like celebrities who didn't have privacy.

Raven shivered from the cold and stopped just as they reached the car in the parking lot. The other titans such as Jinx and Herald tried to hide their faces from the cameras which served to be useless. The prying group of paparazzi were silent as they focused on the titans. Robin helped Starfire into her own seat up front with Cyborg and Raven watched Beast boy do the same for her. It was a split decision as she gently tugged on his purple tie to bring him closer. Beast boy's eyes widened as he realized what she was doing and leaned down to meet her halfway; soon they were the center of the brightly flashing devices.

"Today would be nice." Robin cleared his throat which caused the couple to pull away from each other.

Beast boy shook his head, "Patience is a virtue."

Raven ushered her boyfriend into the car and slid inside after him followed by Robin.

"That's somethin' you still don't have, B." Cyborg turned his torso around to look through the back window and back out of the parking space.

Beast boy frowned, "Shut it, tin can."

Cyborg maneuvered out the parking lot carefully until they were sitting in traffic. The tower would be over flowing with honorary titans as they party into the early hours. Still, it was different than tradition but it was more than welcome to have a change. Raven stared out of the windshield and could see just the top of their home with several lights that had been left on. The car was far from silent as each of her friends talked about what a good time they had and Raven shared a secret smile with her boyfriend. It would only be a matter of time before he would catch her cold.

 **A/N: Honestly, I hate this fanfiction guys and I'm pretty sure I've gotten lazy with the last few chapters. I don't understand why you guys like it but really thanks for all the support you do give me for trying.**


	12. Million Dollar Kiss

Hundred Dollar Kiss

The sun was just rising over the horizon when Raven had exited her bedroom. For too long she had waisted most of her mornings sleeping in due to being sick. It had been late last night—or technically earlier that morning—when her fever had finally broken. Her indigo cloak hid her body from sight and provided comfort as she was back in uniform. Raven turned the corner and came to an abrupt halt in the hallway and raised her eyebrows at the sight in front of her.

The line leading to the bathroom was longer than she had expected as well as the faces sleepily staring back at her. Speedy, Pantha, Jericho, and Herald waited for their turn holding toiletries and tooth brushes as they waited for whoever to emerge out of the shower. Unfortunately, none of the guest rooms were given personal bathrooms. Cyborg had decided against it as it would already be too much too upkeep

She shook her head even more thankful Cyborg added personal bathrooms. "Morning."

"Good Morning." Jericho signed with his hands his own greeting and smiled at her.

Speedy leaned heavily on the wall obviously starting his morning off wrong, "How long does it take to shower?"

"Be patient." Pantha said and nodded at Raven.

Herald looked the empath up and down, "Better get some breakfast before the kitchen's too crowded."

"Right." Raven left the four titans standing in line and hurried to the Ops room.

There were only two bathrooms that Cyborg had upgraded and the bathroom on the opposite wing of the tower had to have been more crowded. The smell of bacon teased her nose as she drew clearer and the doors slid open. Cyborg was already behind the stove with a skillet in his hand and Robin was sipping on his morning coffee with a newspaper at the table. The kitchen area was already crowded but she would still be able to make hot water for her tea over the stove.

Bumblebee shuffled to the fridge and withdrew a jug of orange juice and glass from the cabinet. "So, where's your boo thang, Raven?"

The question was unexpected and the reaction was sudden which caused the tower to tremble. The dishes in cabinets, tables, and items on shelves rattled along with her powers. Raven drew her hood over her face to provide a sanctuary from the embarrassment her friend had caused her.

"Don't gotta be shy about it, Rae." Cyborg laughed and flip the egg in the skillet. "We all knew you had a thing for green bean."

Robin had opened the tower for all the titans so they could spend the night. They had been the first ones to arrive at the tower that night while the rest of them trickled in later. Some had stayed out much later than necessary and were still asleep in their beds. If her whole morning was to be filled with teasing she should find refuge in her room.

"Your crossing the line, Cyborg." Raven tried to bite back her tongue from a cutting remark.

Her silver kettle had already been set out for her, she filled it with water and turned the burner on the stove. Bumblebee smirked and Cyborg continued to laugh knowing that he was treading on thin ice. More titans trickled into the Ops room and Raven left to sit in the long booth with Robin.

"Leave her alone, Cyborg." Beast boy had been on his way to the refrigerator to rummage around for something to eat.

Jinx was seated on the U-shaped couch and turned the volume up on the TV, "Apparently, you wanted some attention with that kiss from last night."

A blonde woman wore a fake smile, "Here we have Jessica Bauer bringing you all the latest celebrity gossip."

Raven inclined her head to the large plasma screen, "We aren't even celebrities."

"Katie Wright and Russel Everett weren't the only ones in a lip lock when the clock hit midnight." The brunette woman—Jessica—laughed as she announced, "Two of our well-known superheroes, Beast boy and Raven were also caught during a brief new year's kiss."

The camera had moved back to the blonde woman and the freeze-framed picture of the said couple. "Who could have guess the polar opposites would match up for the new year?"

Raven's hand tightened on her mug, "What are they, in first grade?"

Beast boy shook his head as everyone else ignored his fuming girlfriend, "You should've known better, Rae-Rae."

It was true, she should have known the not-so-private moment would have blown up in the media. But the thought hadn't been on her mind when she was in the moment of innocently kissing her boyfriend on the lips. Their picture had even had a small section in the newspaper Robin had been reading through. She took another sip of her herbal tea and did her best to ignore the comments from her teammates and the rest of the news. The camera man who had captured their picture priced it ridiculously high to sell which only left the gateway open for Jinx to tease the empath.

"Hey." Beast boy walked up beside her as she rinsed out her mug in the sink, "I still owe you a date since the first one was a disaster."

Raven placed her mug on the rack to dry and raised an eyebrow at him, "You don't have to go out of your way to make it up to me."

"I want to." Beast boy walked with her out of the Ops room to escape the prying ears of their friends, "Cyborg even gave us the holo-rings."

The couple stopped at the end of the hallway and faced each other, "Robin said those were for emergencies only."

"I know." Beast boy held out both gold rings for her to see, "Robin said we can use them and we won't be harassed in public."

Raven nodded her head and considered his date proposal, "I'll meet you in the hall in fifteen?"

"Sure."

The couple turned the corner that led to their respective bedrooms to change out of uniform and for the weather outside. And just like promised Beast boy waited for her as he zipped up his coat. His skin was no longer green but Caucasian and his hair appeared blonde but he was the same Garfield Logan. Raven's long hair took on the appearance of black and her skin wasn't gray but instead pale.

"Should we tell the others where we'll be?" Raven asked before they headed out.

Beast boy shook his head, "Nope. They'll just get a kick out of teasing us."

"Might as well leave our communicators." Raven took out the round black and yellow device and left it on the floor in the hallway.

Beast boy followed suit and left his next to hers so they couldn't be traced. They wouldn't be needed anyways if the crime alert went off, there were plenty of titans around to fill in. Without asking, Beast boy took her hand in his and they headed into the elevator that took them to the garage. Raven hesitated on the two steps that led down into the garage, she had suspected that they would be flying.

"Don't worry, I already have keys." Beast boy held up the keyring which held the keys to the ignition and the gas tank. With a beep, all the doors to the T-car were unlocked and Beast boy opened the door for her.

Raven took her place in the passenger seat and waited until Beast boy had the key in the ignition, "Cyborg doesn't know you have the keys, does he?"

"What he doesn't know won't kill him." Beast boy adjusted the mirrors before peeling out of the garage and into the city. "Relax, Rae."

"Don't show off and watch the speed limit." Her hand was curled around the handle and on the edge of her seat to steady herself.

Raven finally relaxed in her seat when Beast boy reasonably reduced the speed limit as the bridge was still icy. "Where to?"

"You'll see." Beast boy grinned and kept one hand on the wheel. "It's kind of a surprise."

It was a good forty-five minutes later when Beast boy pulled over onto the side of the road with an empty parking meter. She had been distracted with their conversation that consisted of Beast boy asking more questions about her and from when she lived in Azarath. Raven had made sure to ask her fair share of questions in return.

"Bayview Aquarium?"

Beast boy nodded his head, he unbuckled his belt and hurried around to the other side of the car all while avoiding traffic to open her door. "I know it's not an ideal place for a date. And I know you've seen all the museums back in Jump so I thought this place would be good."

"It's great, Beast boy." Raven watched as her words calmed the changeling.

Even on New Year's Day, the aquarium was packed with guest even as early as they had arrived. The walk from the car to the aquarium was a bit far though Raven didn't mind it. After paying for admission they were greeted with crowds, laughter, a mixture of conversations with a touch of different languages though the Raven thought the best part was not being the center of attention.

"Where to first?" Raven walked close to him so she wouldn't lose him in the crowd.

Beast boy could see through much of the crowd thanks to his growth spurt, "Let's start from the top."

It was clear that he had visited the aquarium before as he knew exactly where he was going. The stairs were less crowded than the elevators and it would have taken less time anyways. A chilling breeze swept over the couple as they were back outside and one of the popular exhibits happened to be otters. Younger children crowded in front of the large glass and watched as several of the animals swam in the clean water.

"Do you think everyone will be gone by the time we get back?" Beast boy had guided her closer to the thick plexiglass.

Raven was aware of Beast boy standing too close behind her, "Of course not. If anything, they'll eat all our food." She winced as her throat became too dry from speaking.

It wasn't necessarily the first time when all of the titans—honorary and all—had wiped them out of their food supply. Cyborg had been utterly surprised while Robin had to restock the pantry and fridge and that had only been two years before.

"I think this might be a mistake." Raven's words were mumbled but Beast boy could depict what she had said, "

"It's won't be easy, I told you that." Beast boy pulled her close and relaxed his posture when her head rested against his shoulder, "Trying is part of it too."

She shook her head and stopped when a sharp pain entered her skull.

Beast boy gently squeezed her hand and ignored the fact that she was trying to slip away from him. It was clear that she was becoming uncomfortable with the situation at hand and if he didn't act soon she would hide back in her shell.

"Then why don't you think it will work?" Beast boy watched as she continued to fidget. He thought their current concerns had already been solved. "I want a legitimate reason. For my sake."

Raven stopped trying to pull her hand out of his and racked her brain for an answer. Simply saying she was afraid wouldn't be enough although it was quite true. The feeling of dread and vulnerability couldn't be justified as they were only excuses and Beast boy was searching for an explanation.

"I don't want this to end badly." Raven's eyes met his and it felt as if her heart had dropped into her stomach. She internally cringed as the words left her mouth and disappointment that radiated from the changeling had unsettled her. "What if this somehow puts the team in danger?"

"You really think a relationship will be that bad?" Beast boy released her hand and left to sit on a dry bench that was unoccupied and Raven did the same. Without letting her answer he changed tactics, "I can take you home if you want."

"I haven't meditated in days, Garfield." Raven massaged her temples and allowed her eyes to close momentarily, "I…I do know how I feel about you."

"I'm confused. So, do you want to date or not?" Beast boy had folded his arms across his chest in frustration. "You're being indecisive and I don't want to be put through this anymore."

Raven was quiet as his words continued to repeat in her mind. She had agreed several days ago that she would at least try. That was all he had asked of her and she was easily being unfair. Six days was hardly a chance for anyone to make an impression despite all the effort he had made during their vacation.

"I'm sorry." She bit her tongue and instantly wished they were in a more private setting. "I'm sorry for doubting. I said that I would try and I will."

"Do you promise?" He asked. The question caught her off guard as well as the seriousness of his tone.

Raven nodded her head once, "I promise."

"Then apology accepted."

His happy-go-lucky mood had smoldered and wasn't nearly as strong as when they had left the tower. Beast boy guided her to the other exhibits which consisted of jellyfish, sea turtles, and African penguins. He had been more interested in watching the animals themselves while Raven took her time to read the information of to the side.

"Something wrong?" Beast boy asked, she was much quieter than usual which sent up red flags. "You don't seem like yourself."

Raven shrugged her shoulders and her eyes wandered around the butterfly room. The drastic temperature change inside had caused her to remove her coat. So far, they were off to a rocky start and Raven couldn't blame him for his nervousness. It was difficult when each of her emotions pulled her in different directions.

"You don't need to worry." She smiled when a blue butterfly with black tipped wings landed on his shoulder without his knowledge.

She knew for a fact that Beast boy would continue to worry until was certain she was okay. Raven released a shallow breath and tried to separate her own emotions from the crowd.

"Let's just take it one day at a time, Rae." Beast boy draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close as they moved on to the next exhibit.

Raven nodded her head and expelled her worries and focused on the present. Cyborg was sure to have a cow when the couple would return to the tower. And the other titans would tease the two but none of that mattered. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before giving Beast boy her undivided attention on their date.

 **A/N: This fanfic is complete. I will begin revising and editing from beginning to end to make the dialogue and everything else flow better. Don't be surprised if some scenes are completely deleted and new ones are added. The ending will more likely be different. All my Author's Notes will be deleted after I finish revising. So if you see any more updates of this just know that it's because the spelling/grammar/sentence structure has been corrected.**


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